Romans 9
1 Truth I say in Christ, I lie not, my conscience bearing testimony with me in the Holy Spirit,
I tell the truth in Christ. I do not lie, and my conscience bears witness with me in the Holy Spirit,
2 that I have great grief and unceasing pain in my heart —
that for me there is great sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart.
3 for I was wishing, I myself, to be anathema from the Christ — for my brethren, my kindred, according to the flesh,
For I could wish that I myself would be cursed and set apart from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race according to the flesh.
4 who are Israelites, whose [is] the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the lawgiving, and the service, and the promises,
They are Israelites. They have adoption, the glory, the covenants, the gift of the law, the worship of God, and the promises.
5 whose [are] the fathers, and of whom [is] the Christ, according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed to the ages. Amen. (aiōn g165)
Theirs are the ancestors from whom Christ has come with respect to the flesh—he who is God over all. May he be praised forever. Amen. (aiōn g165)
6 And it is not possible that the word of God hath failed; for not all who [are] of Israel are these Israel;
But it is not as though the promises of God have failed. For it is not everyone in Israel who truly belongs to Israel.
7 nor because they are seed of Abraham [are] all children, but — 'in Isaac shall a seed be called to thee;'
Neither are all Abraham's descendants truly his children. But, “It is through Isaac that your descendants will be called.”
8 that is, the children of the flesh — these [are] not children of God; but the children of the promise are reckoned for seed;
That is, the children of the flesh are not the children of God. But the children of the promise are regarded as descendants.
9 for the word of promise [is] this; 'According to this time I will come, and there shall be to Sarah a son.'
For this is the word of promise: “At this time I will come, and a son will be given to Sarah.”
10 And not only [so], but also Rebecca, having conceived by one — Isaac our father —
Not only this, but after Rebekah also had conceived by one man, our father Isaac—
11 (for they being not yet born, neither having done anything good or evil, that the purpose of God, according to choice, might remain; not of works, but of Him who is calling, ) it was said to her —
for the children were not yet born and had not yet done anything good or bad, so that the purpose of God according to choice might stand, not because of actions, but because of him who calls—
12 'The greater shall serve the less;'
it was said to her, “The older will serve the younger.”
13 according as it hath been written, 'Jacob I did love, and Esau I did hate.'
It is just as had been written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
14 What, then, shall we say? unrighteousness [is] with God? let it not be!
What then will we say? Is there unrighteousness with God? May it never be.
15 for to Moses He saith, 'I will do kindness to whom I do kindness, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion;'
For he says 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, then — not of him who is willing, nor of him who is running, but of God who is doing kindness:
So then, it is not because of him who wills, nor because of him who runs, but because of God, who shows mercy.
17 for the Writing saith to Pharaoh — 'For this very thing I did raise thee up, that I might shew in thee My power, and that My name might be declared in all the land;'
For the scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I raised you up, so that I might demonstrate my power in you, and so that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”
18 so, then, to whom He willeth, He doth kindness, and to whom He willeth, He doth harden.
So then, God has mercy on whom he wishes, and whom he wishes, he makes stubborn.
19 Thou wilt say, then, to me, 'Why yet doth He find fault? for His counsel who hath resisted?'
You will say then to me, “Why does he still find fault? For who has ever withstood his will?”
20 nay, but, O man, who art thou that art answering again to God? shall the thing formed say to Him who did form [it], Why me didst thou make thus?
On the contrary, man, who are you who answers against God? Will what has been molded say to the one who molds it, “Why did you make me this way?”
21 hath not the potter authority over the clay, out of the same lump to make the one vessel to honour, and the one to dishonour?
Does the potter not have the right over the clay to make from the same lump a container for special use, and another container for daily use?
22 And if God, willing to shew the wrath and to make known His power, did endure, in much long suffering, vessels of wrath fitted for destruction,
What if God, who is willing to show his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much patience containers of wrath prepared for destruction?
23 and that He might make known the riches of His glory on vessels of kindness, that He before prepared for glory, whom also He did call — us —
What if he did this in order that he might make known the riches of his glory upon containers of mercy, which he had previously prepared for glory?
24 not only out of Jews, but also out of nations,
What if he did this also for us, whom he also called, not only from among the Jews, but also from among the Gentiles?
25 as also in Hosea He saith, 'I will call what [is] not My people — My people; and her not beloved — Beloved,
As he says also in Hosea: “I will call my people who 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, Ye [are] not My people; there they shall be called sons of the living God.'
Then it will be that where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' there they will be called 'sons of the living God.'”
27 And Isaiah doth cry concerning Israel, 'If the number of the sons of Israel may be as the sand of the sea, the remnant shall be saved;
Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “Though the number of the children of Israel were as the sand of the sea, it will be a remnant that will be saved,
28 for a matter He is finishing, and is cutting short in righteousness, because a matter cut short will the Lord do upon the land.
for the Lord will carry out his sentence on the earth, completely and without delay.”
29 and according as Isaiah saith before, 'Except the Lord of Sabaoth did leave to us a seed, as Sodom we had become, and as Gomorrah we had been made like.'
As Isaiah had said previously, “If the Lord of hosts had not left us descendants, we would be like Sodom, and we would have become like Gomorrah.”
30 What, then, shall we say? that nations who are not pursuing righteousness did attain to righteousness, and righteousness that [is] of faith,
What will we say then? That the Gentiles, who were not pursuing righteousness, obtained righteousness, the righteousness by faith.
31 and Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, at a law of righteousness did not arrive;
But Israel, who did pursue a law of righteousness, did not arrive at it.
32 wherefore? because — not by faith, but as by works of law; for they did stumble at the stone of stumbling,
Why not? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but by works. They stumbled over the stone of stumbling,
33 according as it hath been written, 'Lo, I place in Sion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence; and every one who is believing thereon shall not be ashamed.'
as it has been written, “Look, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. He who believes in it will not be ashamed.”
