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I am telling legō the truth alētheia in en Christ Christos I am not ou lying pseudomai; my egō conscience syneidēsis bears symmartyreō witness with me egō · ho in en the Holy hagios Spirit pneuma that hoti I egō have eimi great megas sorrow lypē and kai unceasing adialeiptos anguish odynē in ho my egō heart kardia. For gar I could wish euchomai that I egō myself autos were eimi accursed anathema, cut off from apo · ho Christ Christos, for hyper the sake of ho my egō brethren adelphos, · ho my egō kinsmen syngenēs according kata to the flesh sarx, who hostis are eimi Israelites Israēlitēs. To them hos belong the ho adoption hyiothesia, · kai the ho glory doxa, · kai the ho covenants diathēkē, · kai the ho giving nomothesia of the law , · kai the ho temple latreia worship , and kai the ho promises epangelia. To them hos belong the ho patriarchs patēr, and kai from ek them hos by kata human descent sarx came the ho Christ Christos, · ho who ho is eimi God theos over epi all pas, blessed eulogētos for eis all ho time aiōn. Amen amēn.

But de it is not ou as hoios though hoti the ho word logos of ho God theos had failed ekpiptō. For gar not ou all pas who ho are descended from ek Israel Israēl are actually Israel Israēl; neither oude are they all pas children teknon of Abraham Abraam because hoti they are eimi his descendants sperma; on the contrary alla, “It is through en Isaac Isaak that your sy descendants sperma will be named kaleō.” This houtos means eimi it is not ou the ho children teknon of the ho flesh sarx who houtos are children teknon of ho God theos, but alla the ho children teknon of the ho promise epangelia are counted logizomai as eis descendants sperma. For gar this houtos is what ho the promise epangelia said logos: “ About kata · ho this houtos time kairos next year I will return erchomai and kai Sarah Sarra will have eimi · ho a son hyios.” 10 Not ou only monon that, · de but alla · kai when echō Rebecca Rhebekka had echō conceived koitē twins by ek one heis man , our hēmeis forefather patēr Isaac Isaak · ho 11 for gar even before mēpō they were born gennaō or mēde had prassō done anything tis either good agathos or ē bad phaulos so hina that · ho God’ s theos purpose prothesis according kata to election eklogē · ho might stand menō, 12 not ou because ek of works ergon, but alla because ek of his ho call kaleō it was said legō to her autos, “ The ho older megas will serve douleuō the ho younger elassōn.” 13 As kathōs it is written graphō, · ho Jacob Iakōb I loved agapaō, · ho but de Esau ēsau I hated miseō.”

14 What tis then oun shall we say legō? Is there not injustice adikia on God’ s theos part para? · ho By no means ! 15 For gar he says legō to ho Moses Mōysēs, “ I will have mercy eleeō on whom hos I have mercy eleeō, and kai I will have compassion oiktirō on whom hos I have compassion oiktirō.” 16 So ara then oun, it does not ou depend on ho human thelō desire or oude · ho exertion trechō, but alla on ho God’ s theos mercy eleaō. 17 For gar the ho scripture graphē says legō to ho Pharaoh Pharaō, “ For eis this very autos purpose houtos I have raised exegeirō you sy up , that hopōs I might display endeiknymi my egō power dynamis in en you sy, · ho and kai that hopōs my egō name onoma might be proclaimed diangellō · ho in en all pas the ho earth .” 18 So ara then oun, God has mercy on eleeō whomever hos he wills thelō, and de he hardens sklērynō whomever hos he wills thelō. 19 So oun you will say legō to me egō, “ Why tis then oun does he still eti find memphomai fault ? For gar who tis can resist anthistēmi · ho his autos will boulēma?” 20 But menounge who tis are eimi you sy, a mere ō mortal anthrōpos, · ho to criticize antapokrinomai · ho God theos? Certainly the ho thing plasma that is molded plasma may not say legō to the ho one who molded plassō it, “ Why tis have you made poieō me egō like houtōs this ?” 21 Has echō the ho potter kerameus no ou right exousia to make poieō from ek the ho same autos lump phyrama of ho clay pēlos some hos men pottery skeuos for eis a special timē occasion and de other hos for eis common atimia use? 22 What de if ei God theos, willing thelō · ho to display endeiknymi his ho wrath orgē and kai make gnōrizō known · ho his autos power dynatos, has endured pherō with en great polys patience makrothumia the objects skeuos of wrath orgē prepared katartizō for eis destruction apōleia? 23 And kai what if he did so in order hina to make gnōrizō known the ho riches ploutos of ho his autos glory doxa to epi the objects skeuos of mercy eleos, which hos he prepared proetoimazō beforehand for eis glory doxa 24 even kai us hēmeis, whom hos he has called kaleō, not ou only monon from ek the Jews Ioudaios, but alla also kai from ek the Gentiles ethnos. 25 As hōs he legō also kai says legō in en · ho Hosea hōsēe, “ Those ho who were not ou my egō people laos, I will call kaleō my egō people laos,’ and kai her ho who was not ou beloved agapaō, I will call ‘ beloved agapaō.’” 26  And kai it will happen eimi that in en the ho very place topos where hou God said legō to them autos, ‘ You hymeis are not ou my egō people laos,’ there ekei they will be called kaleō sons hyios of the living zaō God theos.’” 27 Isaiah ēsaias · de cries krazō out concerning hyper · ho Israel Israēl, “ Even if ean the ho number arithmos of the ho sons hyios of Israel Israēl were eimi as hōs the ho sand ammos of the ho sea thalassa, only ho a remnant hypoleimma will be saved sōzō; 28 for gar the Lord kyrios will carry out poieō his sentence logos on epi the ho earth , thoroughly synteleō and kai without syntemnō delay .” 29 And kai as kathōs Isaiah ēsaias predicted, “ If ei the Lord kyrios of hosts Sabaōth had not left enkataleipō to us hēmeis descendants sperma, we ginomai would an have become ginomai like hōs Sodom Sodoma, and kai would an have resembled homoioō Gomorrah Gomorra.”

30 What tis then oun shall we say legō?— that hoti the Gentiles ethnos who ho did not pursue diōkō righteousness dikaiosynē have obtained katalambanō it dikaiosynē, the righteousness dikaiosynē · de that ho is by ek faith pistis; 31 but de Israel Israēl, even though it pursued diōkō a law nomos that would produce righteousness dikaiosynē, did not ou attain phthanō it nomos? 32 Why not dia? Because hoti they did not ou pursue it by ek faith pistis, but alla as hōs though it were by ek works ergon. They stumbled proskoptō over the ho stumbling proskomma stone lithos, · ho 33 as kathōs it is written graphō, “ Behold idou, I am laying tithēmi in en Zion Siōn a stone lithos that makes them stumble proskomma and kai a rock petra that trips skandalon them up ; but kai the ho one who believes pisteuō in epi him autos will not ou be put to shame kataischunō.”

Paul’s Anguish Over Israel

I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying,(A) my conscience confirms(B) it through the Holy Spirit— I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself(C) were cursed(D) and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people,(E) those of my own race,(F) the people of Israel.(G) Theirs is the adoption to sonship;(H) theirs the divine glory,(I) the covenants,(J) the receiving of the law,(K) the temple worship(L) and the promises.(M) Theirs are the patriarchs,(N) and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah,(O) who is God over all,(P) forever praised![a](Q) Amen.

God’s Sovereign Choice

It is not as though God’s word(R) had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.(S) Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”[b](T) In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children,(U) but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.(V) For this was how the promise was stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”[c](W)

10 Not only that, but Rebekah’s children were conceived at the same time by our father Isaac.(X) 11 Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad(Y)—in order that God’s purpose(Z) in election might stand: 12 not by works but by him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”[d](AA) 13 Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”[e](AB)

14 What then shall we say?(AC) Is God unjust? Not at all!(AD) 15 For he says to Moses,

“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,
    and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”[f](AE)

16 It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.(AF) 17 For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”[g](AG) 18 Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.(AH)

19 One of you will say to me:(AI) “Then why does God still blame us?(AJ) For who is able to resist his will?”(AK) 20 But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God?(AL) “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it,(AM) ‘Why did you make me like this?’”[h](AN) 21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?(AO)

22 What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience(AP) the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction?(AQ) 23 What if he did this to make the riches of his glory(AR) known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory(AS) 24 even us, whom he also called,(AT) not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?(AU) 25 As he says in Hosea:

“I will call them ‘my people’ who are not my people;
    and I will call her ‘my loved one’ who is not my loved one,”[i](AV)

26 and,

“In the very place where it was said to them,
    ‘You are not my people,’
    there they will be called ‘children of the living God.’”[j](AW)

27 Isaiah cries out concerning Israel:

“Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea,(AX)
    only the remnant will be saved.(AY)
28 For the Lord will carry out
    his sentence on earth with speed and finality.”[k](AZ)

29 It is just as Isaiah said previously:

“Unless the Lord Almighty(BA)
    had left us descendants,
we would have become like Sodom,
    we would have been like Gomorrah.”[l](BB)

Israel’s Unbelief

30 What then shall we say?(BC) That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;(BD) 31 but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness,(BE) have not attained their goal.(BF) 32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone.(BG) 33 As it is written:

“See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble
    and a rock that makes them fall,
    and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame.”[m](BH)

Footnotes

  1. Romans 9:5 Or Messiah, who is over all. God be forever praised! Or Messiah. God who is over all be forever praised!
  2. Romans 9:7 Gen. 21:12
  3. Romans 9:9 Gen. 18:10,14
  4. Romans 9:12 Gen. 25:23
  5. Romans 9:13 Mal. 1:2,3
  6. Romans 9:15 Exodus 33:19
  7. Romans 9:17 Exodus 9:16
  8. Romans 9:20 Isaiah 29:16; 45:9
  9. Romans 9:25 Hosea 2:23
  10. Romans 9:26 Hosea 1:10
  11. Romans 9:28 Isaiah 10:22,23 (see Septuagint)
  12. Romans 9:29 Isaiah 1:9
  13. Romans 9:33 Isaiah 8:14; 28:16