Romans 9
1 I am in Christ, and what I say is true. I'm not lying! My conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm
I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,
2 how terribly sad I am, how I have never-ending pain in my heart,
That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.
3 for my own people, my brothers and sisters. I would rather be cursed myself, separated from Christ, if that would help them.
For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
4 They are my fellow-Israelites, God's chosen people. God revealed to them his glory and made agreements with them, giving them the law, true worship, and his promises.
Who are Israelites; to whom [pertaineth] the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service [of God], and the promises;
5 They are our forefathers—ancestors of Christ, humanly-speaking, the one who rules over everything, the eternally-blessed God. Amen. (aiōn g165)
Whose [are] the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ [came], who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen. (aiōn g165)
6 It's not that God's promise has failed. For not every Israelite is a true Israelite,
Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they [are] not all Israel, which are of Israel:
7 and all those who are descended from Abraham are not his true children. For Scripture says, “Your descendants will be counted through Isaac,”
Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, [are they] all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
8 so it's not Abraham's actual children who are counted as God's children, but only those children of God's promise who are considered his true descendants.
That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these [are] not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
9 This is what the promise was: “I will return next year and Sarah will have a son.”
For this [is] the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son.
10 In addition Rebecca's twin sons had the same father, our forefather Isaac.
And not only [this]; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, [even] by our father Isaac;
11 But even before the children were born, and before they'd done anything right or wrong, (so that God's purpose could continue, proving God's calling of people is not based on human performance),
(For [the children] being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth; )
12 she was told, “The older brother will serve the younger one.”
It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
13 As Scripture says, “I chose Jacob, but rejected Esau.”
As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
14 So what should we conclude? That God was unjust? Certainly not!
What shall we say then? [Is there] unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
15 As he said to Moses, “I will be merciful to whoever I should show mercy, and I will have compassion on whoever I should show compassion.”
For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
16 So it does not depend on what we want, or our own efforts, but the merciful nature of God.
So then [it is] not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
17 Scripture records God saying to Pharaoh: “I put you here for a reason—so that through you I could demonstrate my power, and so that my name could be made known throughout the earth.”
For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
18 So God is merciful to those he wishes to be, and hardens the attitude of those he wants to.
Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will [have mercy], and whom he will he hardeneth.
19 Now you'll argue with me and ask, “So why does he still blame us then? Who can resist the will of God?”
Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
20 That's no way to speak, for who are you—a mere mortal—to contradict God? Can something that is created say to its creator, “Why did you make me like this?”
Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed [it], Why hast thou made me thus?
21 Doesn't a potter have the right to use the same batch of clay to make both a decorative bowl and an everyday pot?
Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
22 It's as if God, wanting to demonstrate his opposition to sin and to reveal his power, bears patiently with these “pots destined for destruction,”
[What] if God, willing to shew [his] wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
23 so that he might reveal the greatness of his glory through these “pots of mercy” which he has prepared in advance for glory.
And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
24 This is who we are—people he has called, not just from among the Jews, but from among the foreigners too...
Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
25 As God said in the book of Hosea, “Those who are not my people I will call my people, and those who are not loved I will call the ones I love,”
As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.
26 and, “It will happen that at the place where they were told, ‘You're not my people,’ there they will be called the children of the living God.”
And it shall come to pass, [that] in the place where it was said unto them, Ye [are] not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.
27 Isaiah cries out regarding Israel: “Even if the children of Israel have become as numerous as the sands of the sea, only a small number will be saved.
Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:
28 For the Lord is going to quickly and completely finish his work of judgment on the earth.”
For he will finish the work, and cut [it] short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.
29 As Isaiah previously said, “If the Lord Almighty had not left us some descendants, we would have become just like Sodom and Gomorrah.”
And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.
30 What shall we conclude, then? That even though the foreigners were not even looking to do right, they did grasp what is right, and through their trust in God did what was morally right.
What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.
31 But the people of Israel, who looked to the law to make them right with God, never succeeded.
But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.
32 Why not? Because they relied on what they did rather than trusting in God. They tripped on the stumbling-block,
Wherefore? Because [they sought it] not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;
33 just as Scripture predicted: “Look, I'm placing in Zion a stumbling-block, a rock that will offend people. But those who trust in him won't be disappointed.”
As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
