Romans 9

Paul's Concern for the Jews

1 I speak [the] truth in Christ; I am not lying, as confirmed by my conscience in [the] Holy Spirit. 2 I have deep sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed [and] cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my own flesh and blood, 4 [the people of] Israel. [Theirs is] the adoption as sons; [theirs] the divine glory and the covenants; [theirs] the giving of the Law, the temple worship, and the promises. 5 [Theirs are] the patriarchs, and from them [ proceeds ] [the] human [descent] of Christ, who is God over all, forever worthy of praise! Amen.

God's Sovereign Choice

6 [It is] not as though God’s word has failed. For not all who [are] descended from Israel [are] Israel. 7 Nor because they are Abraham’s descendants [are] they all [his] children. On the contrary, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.” ▼

▼Genesis 21:12

8 So it is not the children of the flesh [who are] God’s children, but [it is] the children of the promise who are regarded as offspring. 9 For this [is] what [the] promise stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.” ▼

▼Genesis 18:10,14

10 Not only that, but Rebecca’s [children] were conceived by one [man] , our father Isaac. 11 Yet before [the twins] were born [or] had done anything good or bad, in order that God’s plan of election might stand, 12 not by works but by Him who calls, she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” ▼

▼Genesis 25:23

13 So it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” ▼

▼Malachi 1:2,3

14 What then shall we say? [Is] God unjust? Certainly not! 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.” ▼

▼Exodus 33:19

16 So then, [it does] not [depend] on man’s desire [or] effort, but on God’s mercy. 17 For the 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.” ▼

▼Exodus 9:16

18 Therefore [God] has mercy on whom He wants [to have mercy ] , and He hardens whom He wants [ to harden ] .

The Calling of the Gentiles

19 One of you will say to me, “Then why does [God] still find fault? For who can resist His will?” 20 But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? [Shall] what is formed say to Him who formed [it] , “Why have you made me like this?” ▼

▼Isaiah 29:16; 45:9; Jeremiah 18:6

21 {Does} not the potter have the right to make from the same lump of clay one vessel for special occasions and [another] for common use? 22 What if God, intending to show [His] wrath and make His power {known} , bore with great patience [the] vessels of His wrath, prepared for destruction? 23 [What if He did this] to make the riches of His glory {known} to [the] vessels of [His] mercy, whom He prepared in advance for glory— 24 including us, whom He has called not only from [the] Jews, but also from [the] Gentiles? 25 As He says in Hosea: “I will call [them] ‘My People’ who [are] not My people, and [I will call her] ‘ [My] Beloved’ who [is] not [My] beloved,” ▼

▼Hosea 2:23

26 and, “It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You [are] not My people,’ they will be called ‘sons of [the] living God.’” ▼

▼Hosea 1:10

27 Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the Israelites is like the sand of the sea, [only] the remnant will be saved. 28 For [the] Lord will carry out [His] sentence on the earth thoroughly and decisively.” ▼

▼Isaiah 10:22,23

29 [It is] just as Isaiah predicted: “Unless [the] Lord of Hosts had left us descendants, we would have become like Sodom, we would have resembled Gomorrah.” ▼

▼Isaiah 1:9

Israel's Unbelief

30 What then will we say? That [the] Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained [it] , a righteousness that [is] by faith; 31 but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained [it] . 32 Why [not] ? Because [their pursuit was] not by faith, but as if [it were] by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33 as it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and the [one who] believes in Him will never be put to shame.” ▼

▼Isaiah 8:14; 28:16