The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans

⭑ Literal Standard Version :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 9 -

Truth I say in Christ, I do not lie, my conscience bearing testimony with me in the Holy Spirit,

that I have great grief and unceasing pain in my heart—

for I was wishing, I myself, to be accursed from the Christ—for my brothers, my relatives, according to the flesh,

who are Israelites, whose [is] the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the lawgiving, and the service, and the promises,

whose [are] the fathers, and of whom [is] the Christ, according to the flesh, who is God over all, blessed for all ages. Amen.

God’s Sovereign Choice

(Genesis 25:19–28; Malachi 1:1–5)

And it is not possible that the word of God has failed; for not all who [are] of Israel are these of Israel;

nor because they are seed of Abraham [are] all children, but, “in Isaac will a seed be called to you”;

that is, the children of the flesh—these [are] not children of God; but the children of the promise are reckoned for seed;

for the word of promise [is] this: “According to this time I will come, and there will be to Sarah a son.”

And not only [so], but also Rebecca, having conceived by one—our father Isaac

(for they being not yet born, neither having done anything good or evil, that the purpose of God, according to [divine] selection, might remain; not of works, but of Him who is calling),

it was said to her, “The greater will serve the less”;

according as it has been written: “Jacob I loved, and Esau I hated.”

What, then, will we say? Unrighteousness [is] with God? Let it not be!

For to Moses He says, “I will do kindness to whom I do kindness, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion”;

so then—not of him who is willing, nor of him who is running, but of God who is doing kindness;

for the Writing says to Pharaoh, “For this very thing I raised you up, that I might show in you My power, and that My Name might be declared in all the land”;

so then, to whom He wills, He does kindness, and to whom He wills, He hardens.

You will say, then, to me, “Why does He yet find fault? For who has resisted His counsel?”

No, but, O man, who are you that are answering again to God? Will the thing formed say to Him who formed [it], Why did you make me thus?

Does the potter not have authority over the clay, out of the same lump to make one vessel to honor and one to dishonor?

And if God, willing to show the wrath and to make known His power, endured, in much long suffering, vessels of wrath fitted for destruction,

and that He might make known the riches of His glory on vessels of kindness, that He before prepared for glory, whom also He called—us—

not only out of Jews, but also out of nations,

as also in Hosea He says, “I will call what [is] not My people—My people; and her not beloved—Beloved,

and it will be—in the place where it was said to them, You [are] not My people; there they will be called sons of the living God.”

And Isaiah cries concerning Israel, “If the number of the sons of Israel may be as the sand of the sea, the remnant will be saved;

for a matter He is finishing, and is cutting short in righteousness, because a matter cut short will the LORD do on the land.”

And according as Isaiah says before, “Except the LORD of Hosts left to us a seed, we had become as Sodom, and we had been made like Gomorrah.”

Israel’s Unbelief

What, then, will we say? That nations who are not pursuing righteousness attained to righteousness, and righteousness that [is] of faith,

and Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at a law of righteousness;

why? Because—not by faith, but as by works of law; for they stumbled at the stone of stumbling,

according as it has been written: “Behold, I place in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense; and everyone who is believing thereon will not be ashamed.”

I tell the truth in Christ. I am not lying, my conscience testifying with me in the Holy Spirit

that I have great sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart.

For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brothers’ sake, my relatives according to the flesh

who are Israelites; whose is the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service, and the promises;

of whom are the fathers, and from whom is Christ as concerning the flesh, who is over all, God, blessed forever. Amen.

God’s Sovereign Choice

(Genesis 25:19–28; Malachi 1:1–5)

But it is not as though the word of God has come to nothing. For they are not all Israel that are of Israel.

Neither, because they are Abraham’s offspring, are they all children. But, “your offspring will be accounted as from Isaac.”(a)

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.

For this is a word of promise: “At the appointed time I will come, and Sarah will have a son.”(b)

Not only so, but Rebekah also conceived by one, by our father Isaac.

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,(c)

it was said to her, “The elder will serve the younger.”(d)

Even as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”(e)

What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? May it never be!

For he said to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”(f)

So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who has mercy.

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.”(g)

So then, he has mercy on whom he desires, and he hardens whom he desires.

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

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?”(h)

Or hasn’t the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel for honor, and another for dishonor?

What if God, willing to show his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,

and that he might make known the riches of his glory on vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory—

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

As he says also in Hosea, “I will call them ‘my people,’ which were not my people; and her ‘beloved,’ who was not beloved.”(i)

“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.’”(j)

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;

for he will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness, because the Lord will make a short work upon the earth.”(k)

As Isaiah has said before, “Unless the Lord of Armies(l) had left us a seed, we would have become like Sodom, and would have been made like Gomorrah.”(m)

Israel’s Unbelief

What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who didn’t follow after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith;

but Israel, following after a law of righteousness, didn’t arrive at the law of righteousness.

Why? Because they didn’t seek it by faith, but as it were by works of the law. They stumbled over the stumbling stone,

even as it is written, “Behold,(n) I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and a rock of offense; and no one who believes in him will be disappointed.”(o)

Footnotes

(a)9:7 ℘ Genesis 21:12

(b)9:9 ℘ Genesis 18:10,14

(c)9:11 NU puts the phrase “not of works, but of him who calls” at the beginning of verse 12 instead of the end of verse 11.

(d)9:12 ℘ Genesis 25:23

(e)9:13 ℘ Malachi 1:2-3

(f)9:15 ℘ Exodus 33:19

(g)9:17 ℘ Exodus 9:16

(h)9:20 ℘ Isaiah 29:16; 45:9

(i)9:25 ℘ Hosea 2:23

(j)9:26 ℘ Hosea 1:10

(k)9:28 ℘ Isaiah 10:22-23

(l)9:29 Greek: Sabaoth (or Hebrew: Tze’va’ot)

(m)9:29 ℘ Isaiah 1:9

(n)9:33 “Behold”, from “ἰδοὺ”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.

(o)9:33 ℘ Isaiah 8:14; 28:16