Romans 9-11

American Standard Version

9 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience bearing witness with me in the Holy Spirit, ² that I have great sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart. ³ For I could ^[a]wish that I myself were anathema from Christ for my brethren’s sake, my kinsmen according to the flesh: ⁴ who are Israelites; whose is the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; ⁵ whose are the fathers, and of whom is Christ as concerning the ^[b]flesh, who is over all, God blessed ^[c]for ever. Amen.

⁶ But it is not as though the word of God hath come to nought. For they are not all Israel, that are of Israel: ⁷ neither, because they are Abraham’s seed, are they all children: but, ^[d]In Isaac shall thy seed be called. ⁸ That is, it is not the children of the flesh that are children of God; but the children of the promise are reckoned for a seed. ⁹ For this is a word of promise, ^[e]According to this season will I come, and Sarah shall have a son. ¹⁰ And not only so; but Rebecca also having conceived by one, even by our father Isaac— ¹¹ for the children being not yet born, neither having done anything good or bad, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth, ¹² it was said unto her, ^[f]The elder shall serve the younger. ¹³ Even as it is written, ^[g]Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.

¹⁴ What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. ¹⁵ For he saith to Moses, ^[h]I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. ¹⁶ So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that hath mercy. ¹⁷ For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, ^[i]For this very purpose did I raise thee up, that I might show in thee my power, and that my name might be published abroad in all the earth. ¹⁸ So then he hath mercy on whom he will, and whom he will he hardeneth.

¹⁹ Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he still find fault? For who withstandeth his will? ²⁰ Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why didst thou make me thus? ²¹ Or hath not the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor? ²² What if God, ^[j]willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering vessels of wrath fitted unto destruction: ^23 [k]and that he might make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he afore prepared unto glory, ²⁴ even us, whom he also called, not from the Jews only, but also from the Gentiles? ²⁵ As he saith also in Hosea,

²⁷ And Isaiah crieth concerning Israel, ^[n]If the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that shall be saved: ²⁸ for the Lord will execute his word upon the earth, finishing it and cutting it short. ²⁹ And, as Isaiah hath said before,

³⁰ What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who followed not after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith: ³¹ but Israel, following after a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. ³² Wherefore? ^[p]Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by works. They stumbled at the stone of stumbling; ³³ even as it is written,

10 Brethren, my heart’s ^[s]desire and my supplication to God is for them, that they may be saved. ² For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. ³ For being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. ⁴ For Christ is the end of the law unto righteousness to every one that believeth. ⁵ For Moses writeth that ^[t]the man that doeth the righteousness which is of the law shall live thereby. ⁶ But the righteousness which is of faith saith thus, ^[u]Say not in thy heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down:) ⁷ or, Who shall descend into the abyss? (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.) ⁸ But what saith it? ^[v]The word is nigh thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach: ^9 [w]because if thou shalt ^[x]confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved: ¹⁰ for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. ¹¹ For the scripture saith, ^[y]Whosoever believeth on him shall not be put to shame. ¹² For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek: for the same Lord is Lord of all, and is rich unto all that call upon him: ¹³ for, ^[z]Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. ¹⁴ How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? ¹⁵ and how shall they preach, except they be sent? even as it is written, ^[aa]How beautiful are the feet of them that bring ^[ab]glad tidings of good things!

¹⁶ But they did not all hearken to the ^[ac]glad tidings. For Isaiah saith, ^[ad]Lord, who hath believed our report? ¹⁷ So belief cometh of hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. ¹⁸ But I say, Did they not hear? Yea, verily,

¹⁹ But I say, Did Israel not know? First Moses saith,

²⁰ And Isaiah is very bold, and saith,

²¹ But as to Israel he saith, ^[ai]All the day long did I spread out my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.

11 I say then, Did God cast off his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. ² God did not cast off his people which he foreknew. Or know ye not what the scripture ^[aj]saith ^[ak]of Elijah? how he pleadeth with God against Israel: ³ Lord, they have killed thy prophets, they have digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. ⁴ But what ^[al]saith the answer of God unto him? I have left for myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal. ⁵ Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. ⁶ But if it is by grace, it is no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. ⁷ What then? That which Israel seeketh for, that he obtained not; but the election obtained it, and the rest were hardened: ⁸ according as it is written, ^[am]God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, unto this very day. ⁹ And David saith,

¹¹ I say then, Did they stumble that they might fall? God forbid: but by their ^[ao]fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, to provoke them to jealousy. ¹² Now if their fall is the riches of the world, and their loss the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? ¹³ But I speak to you that are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I glorify my ministry; ¹⁴ if by any means I may provoke to jealousy them that are my flesh, and may save some of them. ¹⁵ For if the casting away of them is the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? ¹⁶ And if the first-fruit is holy, so is the lump: and if the root is holy, so are the branches. ¹⁷ But if some of the branches were broken off, and thou, being a wild olive, wast grafted in among them, and didst become partaker with them ^[ap]of the root of the fatness of the olive tree; ¹⁸ glory not over the branches: but if thou gloriest, it is not thou that bearest the root, but the root thee. ¹⁹ Thou wilt say then, Branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. ²⁰ Well; by their unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by thy faith. Be not highminded, but fear: ²¹ for if God spared not the natural branches, neither will he spare thee. ²² Behold then the goodness and severity of God: toward them that fell, severity; but toward thee, God’s goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. ²³ And they also, if they continue not in their unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again. ²⁴ For if thou wast cut out of that which is by nature a wild olive tree, and wast grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree; how much more shall these, which are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

²⁵ For I would not, brethren, have you ignorant of this mystery, lest ye be wise in your own conceits, that a hardening in part hath befallen Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in; ²⁶ and so all Israel shall be saved: even as it is written,

²⁸ As touching the ^[au]gospel, they are enemies for your sake: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sake. ²⁹ For the gifts and the calling of God are not repented of. ³⁰ For as ye in time past were disobedient to God, but now have obtained mercy by their disobedience, ³¹ even so have these also now been disobedient, that by the mercy shown to you they also may now obtain mercy. ³² For God hath shut up all unto disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all.

³³ O the depth ^[av]of the riches ^[aw]both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out! ³⁴ For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? ³⁵ or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? ³⁶ For of him, and through him, and unto him, are all things. To him be the glory ^[ax]for ever. Amen.