Romans 9

Deep Concern for Israel

11I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying; my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit, 2that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. 3For 2I could 3wish that I myself were 4accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my countrymen, my kinsmen 5according to the flesh, 4who are 6Israelites, to whom belongs 7the adoption as sons and daughters, 8the glory, 9the covenants, 10the giving of the Law, 11the temple service, and 12the promises; 5whose are 13the fathers, and 14from whom is the 15Christ according to the flesh, 16who is over all, 17God 18blessed 19forever. Amen.

6But it is not as though 20the word of God has failed. 21For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; 7nor are they all children 22because they are Abraham’s 2324descendants, but: “2526through Isaac your 27descendants shall be named.” 8That is, it is not the children of the flesh 28who are 29children of God, but the 30children of the promise are regarded as 3132descendants. 9For this is the word of promise: “33At this time I will come, and Sarah will have a son.” 1034And not only that, but there was also 35Rebekah, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac; 11for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that 36God’s purpose according to His choice would 37stand, not 38because of works but 39because of Him who calls, 12it was said to her, “40The older will serve the younger.” 13Just as it is written: “41Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.”

1442What shall we say then? 43There is no injustice with God, is there? 4445Far from it! 15For He says to Moses, “46I will have mercy on whomever I have mercy, and I will show compassion to whomever I show compassion.” 16So then, it does not depend on the person who 47wants it nor the one who 4849runs, but on 50God who has mercy. 17For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “51For this very reason I raised you up, in order to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed 52throughout the earth.” 18So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He 53hardens whom He desires.

1954You will say to me then, “55Why does He still find fault? For 56who has resisted His will?” 20On the contrary, who are you, 5758you foolish person, who 59answers back to God? 60The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it? 21Or does the potter not have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one object 61for honorable use, and another 62for common use? 2263What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with great 64patience objects of wrath 65prepared for destruction? 23And He did so to make known 66the riches of His glory upon 67objects of mercy, which He 68prepared beforehand for glory, 24namely us, whom He also 69called, 70not only from among Jews, but also from among Gentiles, 25as He also says in Hosea: “71I will call those who were not My people, ‘My people,’ And her who was not beloved, ‘beloved.’”26“72And it shall be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘you are not My people,’ There they shall be called sons of 73the living God.”

27Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “74Though the number of the sons of Israel may be 75like the sand of the sea, only 76the remnant will be saved; 2877for the Lord will execute His word on the earth, 78thoroughly and 79quickly.” 29And just as Isaiah foretold: “80If 81the Lord 82of armies had not left us 8384descendants, 85We would have become like Sodom, and would have 86been like Gomorrah.”

3087What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, but 88the righteousness that is 89by faith; 31however, Israel, 90pursuing a law of righteousness, did not 91arrive at that law. 32Why? Because they did not pursue it 92by faith, but as though they could 93by works. They stumbled over 94the stumbling stone, 33just as it is written: “95Behold, I am laying in Zion 96a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, 97And the one who believes in Him 98will not be 99put to shame.”