Rom 9 | ISV | STEP | Paul's Concern for the Jewish People I am telling the truth in union with Christ—I am not lying, for my conscience, confirms it in the Holy Spirit.

Romans 9

1 Paul's Concern for the Jewish People

I am telling the truth in union with Christ—I am not lying, for my conscience, confirms it in the Holy Spirit.Rom 1:9; 2Cor 1:23; 11:31; 12:19; Gal 1:20; Phil 1:8; 1Tim 2:7 2 I have deep sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart,Rom 10:1 3 for I could wish that I myself were condemned ^{▼▼Or accursed} and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my relatives according to the flesh.Exod 32:32

4 They are Israelites. To them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, ^{▼▼Other mss. read the covenant} the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises.Exod 4:22; Deut 7:6; 14:1; 1Sam 4:21; 1Kings 8:11; Ps 63:2; 78:61; 147:19; Jer 31:9; Acts 3:25; 13:32; Rom 3:2; Eph 2:12; Heb 8:8-10; 9:1 5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, Christ ^{▼▼I.e. the Messiah} descended, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.Deut 10:15; Jer 23:6; Luke 3:23; John 1:1; Acts 20:28; Rom 1:3; 11:28; Heb 1:8; 1John 5:20

6 Now it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all Israelites truly belong to Israel,Num 23:19; John 8:39; Rom 2:28-29; 3:8; Gal 6:16 7 and not all of Abraham's descendants are his true descendants. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that descendants will be named for you.” ^{▼▼Gen 21:12}Gen 21:12; Gal 4:23; Heb 11:18 8 That is, it is not the children of natural descent who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as descendants.Gal 4:28

9 For this is the language of promise: “At this time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.” ^{▼▼Gen 18:10, 14}Gen 18:10, 14 10 Not only that, but Rebecca became pregnant by our ancestor Isaac.Gen 25:21 11 Yet before their children ^{▼▼Lit. they} had been born or had done anything good or bad (so that God's plan of election might continue to operateRom 4:17; 8:28 12 according to his calling and not by works), Rebecca ^{▼▼Lit. she} was told, “The older child will serve the younger one.” ^{▼▼Gen 25:23}Gen 25:23 13 As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” ^{▼▼Mal 1:2-3}Deut 21:15; Prov 13:24; Mal 1:2-3; Matt 10:37; Luke 14:26; John 12:25

14 What can we say, then? God is not unrighteous, is he? Of course not!Deut 32:4; 2Chr 19:7; Job 8:3; 34:10; Ps 92:15 15 For he says to Moses, “I will be merciful to the person I want to be merciful to, and I will be kind to the person I want to be kind to.” ^{▼▼Exod 33:19}Exod 33:19 16 Therefore, God's choice ^{▼▼Lit. it} does not depend on a person's will or effort, but on God himself, who shows mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh,Exod 9:16; Gal 3:8, 22

“I have raised you up for this very purpose,

to demonstrate my power in you

and that my name might be proclaimed

in all the earth.” ^{▼▼Exod 9:16}

18 Therefore, God ^{▼▼Lit. he} has mercy on whomever he chooses, and he hardens the heart of whomever he chooses. 19 God Chose People Who Are Not JewishYou may ask me, “Then why does God ^{▼▼Lit. he} still find fault with anybody? ^{▼▼The Gk. lacks with anybody} For who can resist his will?”2Chr 20:6; Job 9:12; 23:13; Dan 4:35 20 On the contrary, who are you—mere man that you are—to talk back to God? Can an object that was molded say to the one who molded it, “Why did you make me like this?”Isa 29:16; 45:9; 64:8 21 A potter has the right to do what he wants to with his clay, doesn't he? He can make something for a special occasion or something for ordinary use from the same lump.Prov 16:4; Jer 18:6; 2Tim 2:20

22 Now if God wants to demonstrate his wrath and reveal his power, can't he be extremely patient with the objects of his wrath that are made for destruction?1Thes 5:9; 1Pet 2:8; Jude 1:4 23 Can't he also reveal his glorious riches to the objects of his mercy that he has prepared ahead of time for glory—Rom 2:4; 8:28-30; Eph 1:7; Col 1:27 24 including us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but from the Gentiles as well?Rom 3:29 25 As he says in Hosea,Hos 2:23; 1Pet 2:10

“Those who are not my people

I will call my people,

and the one who was not loved

I will call my loved one. ^{▼▼Hos 2:23}

26 In the very place where it was said to them,Hos 1:10

‘You are not my people,’

they will be called children of the living God.” ^{▼▼Hos 1:10}

27 Isaiah also calls out concerning Israel,Isa 10:22-23; Rom 11:5

“Although the descendants of Israel

are as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore,

only a few will be saved.

28 For the Lord will carry out his planIsa 28:22

and shorten it in righteousness, ^{▼▼Other mss. lack in righteousness}

because he will carry out his plan on the earth decisively.” ^{▼▼Isa 10:22-23}

29 It is just as Isaiah predicted:Isa 1:9; 13:19; Jer 50:40; Lam 3:22

“If the Lord of the Heavenly Armies

had not left us some descendants,

we would have become like Sodom

and would have been compared to Gomorrah.” ^{▼▼Isa 1:9}

30 What can we say, then? Gentiles, who were not pursuing righteousness, have attained righteousness, a righteousness that comes through faith.Rom 1:17; 4:11; 10:20 31 But Israel, who did pursue the righteousness that is based on the law, did not arrive at that law.Rom 10:2; 11:7; Gal 5:4 32 Why not? Because they did not pursue it on the basis of faith, but as if it were based on works. They stumbled over the stone that causes people to stumble.Luke 2:34; 1Cor 1:23 33 As it is written,Ps 118:22; Isa 8:14; 28:16; Matt 21:42; Rom 10:11; 1Pet 2:6-8

“Look! I am placing a stone in Zion

that people will stumble over

and a large rock that will make them fall,

and the one who believes in him will never be ashamed.” ^{▼▼Isa 28:16}