Romans 9
1 Truth, say I, in Christ, I utter no falsehood, —my conscience bearing witness with me in the Holy Spirit, —
I am telling you the truth as a Christian man--it is no falsehood, for my conscience enlightened, as it is, by the Holy Spirit adds its testimony to mine--
2 That I have great grief and incessant travail in my heart;
when I declare that I have deep grief and unceasing anguish of heart.
3 For I could have wished to be accursed, even I myself, from the Christ, in behalf of my brethren my kinsmen according to the flesh; —
For I could pray to be accursed from Christ on behalf of my brethren, my human kinsfolk--for such the Israelites are.
4 Who, indeed, are Israelites, whose are the sonship, and the glory, and the covenants, and the legislation, and the divine service, and the promises,
To them belongs recognition as God's sons, and they have His glorious Presence and the Covenants, and the giving of the Law, and the Temple service, and the ancient Promises.
5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom is the Christ—according to the flesh—he who is over all, God, blessed unto the ages. Amen. (aiōn g165)
To them the Patriarchs belong, and from them in respect of His human lineage came the Christ, who is exalted above all, God blessed throughout the Ages. Amen. (aiōn g165)
6 It is not, however, as though the word of God had failed; for, not all they who are of Israel, the same are Israel.
Not however that God's word has failed; for all who have sprung from Israel do not count as Israel,
7 Neither, because they are seed of Abraham, are all children, —but, In Isaac, shall there be called unto thee a seed.
nor because they are Abraham's true children. But the promise was "Through Isaac shall your posterity be reckoned."
8 That is—not the children of the flesh, the same are children of God; but, the children of the promise, are reckoned as a seed.
In other words, it is not the children by natural descent who count as God's children, but the children made such by the promise are regarded as Abraham's posterity.
9 For, of promise, is this word—According to this season, will I come, and Sarah shall have a son.
For the words are the language of promise and run thus, "About this time next year I will come, and Sarah shall have a son."
10 And, not only so, but, when, Rebekah also, was with child, of one—Isaac our father, —
Nor is that all: later on there was Rebecca too. She was soon to bear two children to her husband, our forefather Isaac--
11 They, in fact, not being yet born, nor having practised anything good or bad, —in order that the purpose of God by way of election might stand, —not by works but by him that was calling,
and even then, though they were not then born and had not done anything either good or evil, yet in order that God's electing purpose might not be frustrated, based, as it was, not on their actions but on the will of Him who called them, she was told,
12 It was said unto her—The elder, shall serve the younger;
"The elder of them will be bondservant to the younger."
13 Even as it is written—Jacob, have I loved, but, Esau, have I hated.
This agrees with the other Scripture which says, "Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated."
14 What, then, shall we say? Is there injustice with God? Far be it!
What then are we to infer? That there is injustice in God?
15 For, unto Moses, he saith—I will have mercy upon whomsoever I can have mercy, and I will have compassion upon whomsoever I can have compassion.
No, indeed; the solution is found in His words to Moses, "Wherever I show mercy it shall be nothing but mercy, and wherever I show compassion it shall be simply compassion."
16 Hence, then, it is nor of him that wisheth nor of him that runneth, but of the mercy-shewing God.
And from this we learn that everything is dependent not on man's will or endeavour, but upon God who has mercy. For the Scripture said to Pharaoh,
17 For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh—Unto this end, have I raised thee up, that I may thus shew in thee my power, and that I may declare my name in all the earth.
"It is for this very purpose that I have lifted you so high--that I may make manifest in you My power, and that My name may be proclaimed far and wide in all the earth."
18 Hence, then, —on whom he pleaseth, he hath mercy, and, whom he pleaseth, he doth harden.
This is a proof that wherever He chooses He shows mercy, and wherever he chooses He hardens the heart.
19 Thou wilt say to me, then—Why longer findeth he fault? For, his purpose, who hath withstood?
"Why then does God still find fault?" you will ask; "for who is resisting His will?"
20 O man! Who, nevertheless, art, thou, that art answering again unto God? Shall the thing formed say unto him that formed it—Why didst thou make me thus?
Nay, but who are you, a mere man, that you should cavil against GOD? Shall the thing moulded say to him who moulded it, "Why have you made me thus?"
21 Or hath not the potter a right over the clay—out of the same lump, to make some, indeed, into a vessel for honour, and some for dishonour?
Or has not the potter rightful power over the clay to make out of the same lump one vessel for more honourable and another for less honourable uses?
22 And, if God—wishing to shew his anger and to make known his power—bare, in much patience, with vessels of anger already fitted for destruction,
And what if God, while choosing to make manifest the terrors of His anger and to show what is possible with Him, has yet borne with long-forbearing patience with the subjects of His anger who stand ready for destruction,
23 In order that he might make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy which he prepared beforehand for glory, —
in order to make known His infinite goodness towards the subjects of His mercy whom He has prepared beforehand for glory,
24 Whom he also called, even us, not only from among Jews, but also from among the nations, [what then?]
even towards us whom He has called not only from among the Jews but also from among the Gentiles?
25 As also in Hosea he saith—I will call the not-my-people, My people, and the not-beloved, beloved,
So also in Hosea He says, "I will call that nation My People which was not My People, and I will call her beloved who was not beloved.
26 And it shall be—in the place where it was said [to them]—not my people are, ye! there, shall they be called—Sons of a Living God.
And in the place where it was said to them, 'No people of Mine are you,' there shall they be called sons of the everliving God."
27 Isaiah, moreover, exclaimeth over Israel—Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, the remnant, shall be saved;
And Isaiah cries aloud concerning Israel, "Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sands of the sea, only a remnant of them shall be saved;
28 For, a complete and concise account, will the Lord make upon the earth.
for the Lord will hold a reckoning upon the earth, making it efficacious and brief."
29 And, even as Isaiah hath before said, —If, the Lord of hosts, had not left us a seed, as Sodom, had we become, and, as Gomorrha, had we been made like.
Even as Isaiah says in an earlier place, "Were it not that the Lord, the God of Hosts, had left us some few descendants, we should have become like Sodom, and have come to resemble Gomorrah."
30 What, then, shall we say? That, they of the nations, who were not in pursuit of righteousness, have laid hold of righteousness, —a righteousness, however, which is by faith;
To what conclusion does this bring us? Why, that the Gentiles, who were not in pursuit of righteousness, have overtaken it--a righteousness, however, which arises from faith;
31 Whereas, Israel, though in pursuit of a law of righteousness, unto a law, have not attained.
while the descendants of Israel, who were in pursuit of a Law that could give righteousness, have not arrived at one.
32 Wherefore? Because, not by faith but as by works, [have they sought it]: they have stumbled at the stone of stumbling,
And why? Because they were pursuing a righteousness which should arise not from faith, but from what they regarded as merit. They stuck their foot against the stone which lay in their way;
33 Even as it is written—Lo! I lay in Zion, a stone to strike against and a rock to stumble over, and, he that resteth faith thereupon, shall not be put to shame.
in agreement with the statement of Scripture, "See, I am placing on Mount Zion a stone for people to stumble at, and a rock for them to trip over, and yet he whose faith rests upon it shall never have reason to feel ashamed."
