Romans 9
1 Truth, say I, in Christ, I utter no falsehood, —my conscience bearing witness with me in the Holy Spirit, —
I tell the truth in Messiah. I am not lying, my conscience testifying with me in the Holy Spirit
2 That I have great grief and incessant travail in my heart;
that I have great sorrow and unceasing pain in my 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 wish that I myself were accursed from Messiah for my brothers’ sake, my relatives according to the flesh
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,
who are Israelites; whose is the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service, and the 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)
of whom are the fathers, and from whom is Messiah as concerning the flesh, who is over all, God, blessed forever. 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.
But it is not as though the word of God has come to nothing. For they are not all Israel that are of Israel.
7 Neither, because they are seed of Abraham, are all children, —but, In Isaac, shall there be called unto thee a seed.
Neither, because they are Abraham’s offspring, are they all children. But, “your offspring will be accounted as from Isaac.”
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.
That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as heirs.
9 For, of promise, is this word—According to this season, will I come, and Sarah shall have a son.
For this is a word of promise: “At the appointed time I will come, and Sarah will have a son.”
10 And, not only so, but, when, Rebekah also, was with child, of one—Isaac our father, —
Not only so, but Rebekah also conceived by one, by our father 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,
For being not yet born, neither having done anything good or bad, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him who calls,
12 It was said unto her—The elder, shall serve the younger;
it was said to her, “The elder will serve the younger.”
13 Even as it is written—Jacob, have I loved, but, Esau, have I hated.
Even as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
14 What, then, shall we say? Is there injustice with God? Far be it!
What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? May it never be!
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.
For he said to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
16 Hence, then, it is nor of him that wisheth nor of him that runneth, but of the mercy-shewing God.
So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who has mercy.
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.
For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I caused you to be raised up, that I might show in you my power, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”
18 Hence, then, —on whom he pleaseth, he hath mercy, and, whom he pleaseth, he doth harden.
So then, he has mercy on whom he desires, and he hardens whom he desires.
19 Thou wilt say to me, then—Why longer findeth he fault? For, his purpose, who hath withstood?
You will say then to me, “Why does he still find fault? For who withstands 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?
But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed ask him who formed it, “Why did you make me like this?”
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 hasn’t the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel for honour, and another for dishonour?
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,
What if God, willing to show his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared 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, —
and that he might make known the riches of his glory on vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory—
24 Whom he also called, even us, not only from among Jews, but also from among the nations, [what then?]
us, whom he also called, not from the Jews only, but also from the Gentiles?
25 As also in Hosea he saith—I will call the not-my-people, My people, and the not-beloved, beloved,
As he says also in Hosea, “I will call them ‘my people,’ which were not my people; and 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.
“It will be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘children of the living 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;
Isaiah cries concerning Israel, “If the number of the children of Israel are as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant who will be saved;
28 For, a complete and concise account, will the Lord make upon the earth.
for he will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness, because the Lord will make a short work upon the earth.”
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.
As Isaiah has said before, “Unless the Lord of Hosts had left us a seed, we would have become like Sodom, and would have been made like 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;
What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who didn’t follow after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith;
31 Whereas, Israel, though in pursuit of a law of righteousness, unto a law, have not attained.
but Israel, following after a law of righteousness, didn’t arrive at the law of righteousness.
32 Wherefore? Because, not by faith but as by works, [have they sought it]: they have stumbled at the stone of stumbling,
Why? Because they didn’t seek it by faith, but as it were by works of the law. They stumbled over the stumbling stone,
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.
even as it is written, “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and a rock of offence; and no one who believes in him will be disappointed.”
