Berean Standard Bible

Romans 9

1I speakG3004 the truthG225 inG1722 ChristG5547; I am not lyingG3756 G5574, as confirmedG4828 G1473 by myG1473 conscienceG4893 inG1722 the HolyG40 SpiritG4151. 2 IG1473 haveG1510 deepG3173 sorrowG3077 andG2532 unceasingG88 anguishG3601 inG3588 myG1473 heartG2588. 3ForG1063 IG1473 could wish thatG2172 I myselfG846 wereG1510 cursedG331 and cut off fromG575 ChristG5547 for the sake ofG5228 myG1473 brothersG80, myG1473 own flesh and bloodG4773 G2596 G4561, 4the people of IsraelG2475. Theirs is theG3588 adoption as sonsG5206; theirs theG3588 divine gloryG1391 andG2532 theG3588 covenantsG1242; theirs theG3588 giving of the lawG3548 , theG3588 temple worshipG2999, andG2532 theG3588 promisesG1860. 5Theirs are theG3588 patriarchsG3962, andG2532 fromG1537 themG3739 proceeds the humanG2596 G4561 descent of ChristG5547, whoG3588 isG1510 GodG2316 overG1909 allG3956, foreverG1519 G3588 G165 worthy of praiseG2128!1 AmenG281.

God’s Sovereign Choice

It is notG3756 as thoughG3634 God’sG2316 wordG3056 has failedG1601. ForG1063 notG3756 allG3956 whoG3588 are descended fromG1537 IsraelG2474 are IsraelG2474. 7NorG3761 becauseG3754 they areG1510 Abraham’sG11 descendantsG4690 are they allG3956 his childrenG5043. On the contraryG235, “ThroughG1722 IsaacG2464 yourG4771 offspringG4690 will be reckonedG2564.”2 8SoG3778 it isG1510 notG3756 theG3588 childrenG5043 of theG3588 fleshG4561 who are God’sG2316 childrenG5043, butG235 it is theG3588 childrenG5043 of theG3588 promiseG1860 who are regardedG3049 asG1519 offspringG4690. 9ForG1063 thisG3778 is whatG3588 the promiseG1860 statedG3056: “AtG2596 theG3588 appointed timeG2540 I will returnG2064, andG2532 SarahG4564 will haveG1510 a sonG5207.”3

10NotG3756 onlyG3440 thatG1161, butG235 Rebecca’sG4479 children wereG2192 conceivedG2845 byG1537 oneG1520 man, ourG1473 fatherG3962 IsaacG2464. 11YetG1063 beforeG3380 the twins were bornG1080 or had doneG4238 anythingG5100 goodG18 orG2228 badG5337, in order thatG2443 God’sG2316 planG4286 ofG2596 electionG1589 might standG3306, 12notG3756 byG1537 worksG2041 butG235 byG1537 Him whoG3588 callsG2564, sheG846 was toldG2046 , “TheG3588 olderG3173 will serveG1398 theG3588 youngerG1640.”4 13SoG2531 it is writtenG1125 : “JacobG2384 I lovedG25, butG1161 EsauG2269 I hatedG3404.”5

14WhatG5101 thenG3767 shall we sayG2046? Is GodG2316 unjustG93? Certainly notG3361 G1096! 15ForG1063 He saysG3004 toG3588 MosesG3475:

“I will have mercy onG1653 whomG3739 I have mercyG302 G1653,andG2532 I will have compassion onG3627 whomG3739 I have compassionG302 G3627.”6

16SoG686 thenG3767, it does notG3756 depend on man’sG3588 desireG2309 or effortG5143, butG235 onG3588 God’sG2316 mercyG1653. 17ForG1063 theG3588 ScriptureG1124 saysG3004 toG3588 PharaohG5328 : “I raised you upG1825 G4771 forG1519 this veryG846 purpose, thatG3704 I might displayG1731 MyG1473 powerG1411 inG1722 youG4771, andG2532 thatG3704 MyG1473 nameG3686 might be proclaimedG1229 inG1722 allG3956 theG3588 earthG1093.”7 18ThereforeG686 G3767 God has mercyG1653 on whomG3739 He wantsG2309 to have mercy, andG1161 He hardensG4645 whomG3739 He wantsG2309 to harden.

One of you will sayG2046 to meG1473, “ThenG3767 whyG5101 does God still find faultG2089 G3201? ForG1063 whoG5101 can resistG436 HisG846 willG1013?” 20ButG3304 whoG5101 are youG1510, OG5599 manG444 , to talk backG470 to GodG2316? Shall whatG3588 is formedG4110 sayG2046 to Him whoG3588 formedG4111 it, “WhyG5101 did You makeG4160 meG1473 like thisG3779?”8 21 Does notG3756 theG3588 potterG2763 haveG2192 the rightG1849 to makeG4160 fromG1537 theG3588 sameG846 lumpG5445 of clayG4081 oneG3739 vesselG4632 forG1519 special occasionsG5092 andG1161 another forG1519 common useG819?

What ifG1487 GodG2316, intendingG2309 to showG1731 His wrathG3709 andG2532 makeG1107 HisG846 power knownG1415, boreG5342 withG1722 greatG4183 patienceG3115 the vesselsG4632 of His wrathG3709, preparedG2675 forG1519 destructionG684? 23What if He did this toG2443 makeG1107 theG3588 richesG4149 ofG3588 HisG846 glory knownG1391 toG1909 the vesselsG4632 of His mercyG1656, whomG3739 He prepared in advanceG4282 forG1519 gloryG1391— 24includingG2532 usG1473, whomG3739 He has calledG2564 notG3756 onlyG3440 fromG1537 the JewsG2453, butG235 alsoG2532 fromG1537 the GentilesG1484? 25AsG5613 He saysG3004 inG1722 HoseaG5617:

“I will callG2564 them ‘MyG1473 PeopleG2992’ whoG3588 are notG3756 MyG1473 peopleG2992,andG2532 I will call her ‘My BelovedG25’ whoG3588 is notG3756 My belovedG25,”9

“It will happen thatG1510 inG1722 theG3588 very placeG5117 whereG3739 it was saidG2046 to themG846,‘YouG4771 are notG3756 MyG1473 peopleG2992 ,’they will be calledG2564‘sonsG5207 of the livingG2198 GodG2316.’”10

IsaiahG2268 cries outG2896 concerningG5228 IsraelG2474:

“ThoughG1437 theG3588 numberG706 of theG3588 IsraelitesG5207 G2474 isG1510 likeG5613 theG3588 sandG285 of theG3588 seaG2281,only theG3588 remnantG5275 will be savedG4982.28ForG1063 the LordG2962 will carry outG4160 His sentenceG3056 onG1909 theG3588 earthG1093thoroughlyG4931 andG2532 decisivelyG4932.”11

It is just asG2531 IsaiahG2268 foretoldG4302:

“UnlessG1487 G3361 the LordG2962 of HostsG4519 had leftG1459 usG1473 descendantsG4690,we would have becomeG302 G1096 likeG5613 SodomG4670 ,we would have resembledG302 G3666 G5613 GomorrahG1116.”12

30WhatG5101 thenG3767 will we sayG2046? ThatG3754 the GentilesG1484, whoG3588 did not pursueG3361 G1377 righteousnessG1343, have obtainedG2638 it , a righteousnessG1343 thatG3588 is byG1537 faithG4102; 31butG1161 IsraelG2474, who pursuedG1377 a lawG3551 of righteousnessG1343, has not attainedG3756 G5348 it . 32WhyG1223 G5101 not? BecauseG3754 their pursuit was notG3756 byG1537 faithG4102, butG235 as ifG5613 it were byG1537 worksG2041. They stumbledG4350 over theG3588 stumblingG3588 G4348 stoneG3037, 33asG2531 it is writtenG1125:

“SeeG2400, I layG5087 inG1722 ZionG4622 a stoneG3037 of stumblingG4348andG2532 a rockG4073 of offenseG4625;13andG2532 theG3588 one who believesG4100 inG1909 HimG846will never be put to shameG3756 G2617.”14