Romans 9

CHAPTER 9

Paul's Grief for His Brethren

1[²truth ¹I speak] in Christ, I do not lie, (bearing witness with me   is my conscience in [²spirit ¹holy],) 2that [²distress ³is with me ¹great], and continual grief   in my heart. 3For I would make a vow, I myself, to be anathema from the Christ for   my brethren,   of my relatives according to flesh; 4the ones who are Israelites, whom is the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the legislation, and the service, and the promises, 5whom are the fathers, and of whom the Christ came    according to flesh, the one being over all -- God blessed into the eons. Amen. 6[²not ³such as ¹But] that [⁴has fallen ¹the ²word   ³of God]; for not all the ones of Israel are these Israel; 7and not that [³are ⁴seed ⁵of Abraham ¹all ²children]; but, In Isaac [²shall be called ³to you ¹a seed]. 8That is to say, not the children of the flesh are these children   of God; but the children of the promise are imputed for seed. 9For of promise   is this word, According to   this time I will come, and [²will be   ³to Sarah ¹a son]. 10[²not ³only this  ¹And], but also Rebecca from out of one marriage-bed had Isaac   our father 11(for not yet being born, nor having done anything good or bad, that   [³according to ⁴choice   ²of God ¹the intention] should abide, not from works, but of the one calling), 12and it was said to her that, The greater shall serve the lesser. 13As it has been written,   Jacob I loved,   but Esau I detested. 14What then shall we say? There is no injustice with   God? May it not be. 15  For to Moses he says, I will show mercy on whom ever I should show mercy, and I shall pity whom ever I should pity. 16So then it is not of the one wanting, nor of the one running, but of the showing mercy of God. 17[⁴says ¹For ²the ³scripture] to  Pharaoh that, For this same thing  I awakened you, so that I should demonstrate in you   my power, and so that I should declare   my name in all the earth. 18So then whom he wants, he shows mercy; but whom he wants, he hardens. 19You will say then to me, Why yet does he complain?   For [³his will ¹who ²has opposed]? 20Certainly, O man, [³you ¹who ²are] the one answering to  God? Shall [³say ¹the ²thing shaped] to the one shaping, Why have you made me thus? 21Or has not [³authority ¹the ²potter] of the clay, from out of the same batch, to make the one indeed for [²of honor ¹a vessel], and the other  for dishonor? 22And if God wanting to demonstrate the wrath, and to make known   his might, he bore with much leniency vessels of wrath being readied for destruction; 23and that he should make known the riches   of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory, 24whom also he called us not only from out of Jews, but also from out of the nations, 25(as also in   Hosea he says, I will call the one not my people, My people; and the one not being loved, One being loved; 26and it will be in the place where it was said to them, [²not ³my people ¹You are], there they shall be called Sons of the living God; 27and Isaiah cries out over   Israel, saying, Though [⁶should be ¹the ²number ³of the ⁴sons ⁵of Israel] as the sand of the sea, the vestige shall be preserved,) 28[³a reckoning ¹for ²completing], and rendering it concise in righteousness; that [⁴reckoning ³a concise ²will make ¹the Lord] upon the earth. 29And as Isaiah described before, Unless the Lord of Hosts left behind for us a seed, [²as ³Sodom ¹we would have become], and as Gomorrah we would be like. 30What then shall we say? That nations, the ones not pursuing righteousness, overtook righteousness; but righteousness, the one of belief. 31But Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, [²unto ³the law ⁴of righteousness ¹attained not]. 32Why? Because it was not of belief, but as of works of law. For they stumbled against the stone   of stumbling; 33as it has been written, Behold, I put in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence; and every one   trusting upon him shall not be disgraced.