Romans 9

I speak truth in Christ. I do not lie—my conscience bearing witness with me in the Holy Spirit—

that for me there is great sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart. \*

For I could wish myself to be accursed, {separated} from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race according to the flesh;

who are Israelites, of whom {is} the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the law-giving, and the service, and the promises;

of whom {are} the fathers, and from whom {is} the Christ—(that {is}, according to the flesh)—the one who {is} over all, blessed God to eternity. Amen. \*

But {it is} not such a thing that the word of God has failed. For not all the ones from Israel, these {are} Israel.

Neither that all the children are seed of Abraham. But, “In Isaac your seed will be called.” \*

That is, the children of the flesh, these {are} not children of God. But the children of the promise are considered as seed.

For this {is} the word of promise: “At this time I will come, and a son will be to Sarah.” \*

Now, not only this, but Rebekah also having conceived from one {man}, our father Isaac—

for not yet having been born, nor indeed having done anything good or bad, so that the purpose of God according to election might endure,

not by works, but by the one calling—it was said to her, “The older will be enslaved to the younger.”

{It is} just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” \*

What then will we say? {There is} no unrighteousness with God{, is there}? May it never be!

For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy {on} whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion {on} whomever I will have compassion.”

So then, {it is} not of the one willing, nor of the one running, but of God, the one having mercy. \*

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.”

So then, he has mercy on whom he wills, but whom he wills, he hardens. \*

You will say then to me, “Why then does he still find fault? For who has ever withstood his will?”

O man, who indeed are you, the one answering against God? The one molded will not say to the one having molded {it}, “Why did you make me this way?” will it?

Or does the potter not have authority over the clay to make from the same lump not only what {is} a vessel for honor, but also what {is} for dishonor? \*

But {what} if God, willing to demonstrate his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction;

and so that he might make known the wealth of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory—

even us whom he called, not only from the Jews, but also from the Gentiles? \*

As he says also in Hosea: “I will call those {who were} not my people, ‘my people,’ and the one not loved, ‘Beloved.’ 26 And it will be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘You {are} not my people,’ there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’” \*

But Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “Though the number of the sons of Israel might be as the sand of the sea, the remnant will be saved, 28 for the Lord will carry out his word on the earth, finishing {it} and cutting {it} short.” 29 And just as Isaiah has said beforehand, “If the Lord of hosts did not leave us a seed, we would have become like Sodom, and we would have been made like Gomorrah.” \*

What then will we say? That the Gentiles, who are not pursuing righteousness, obtained righteousness, but righteousness that {is} by faith.

But Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not attain {it} through the law. \*

Why? Because {it was} not by faith, but as by works. They stumbled over the stone of stumbling,

just as it is written, “Behold, I place in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, and the one believing on it will not be ashamed.” \*