Romans 9:6-16

Complete Jewish Bible

⁶ But the present condition of Isra’el does not mean that the Word of God has failed.

For not everyone from Isra’el is truly part of Isra’el; ⁷ indeed, not all the descendants are seed of Avraham;^[a] rather, “What is to be called your ‘seed’ will be in Yitz’chak.”^{[b] 8} In other words, it is not the physical children who are children of God, but the children the promise refers to who are considered seed. ⁹ For this is what the promise said: “At the time set, I will come; and Sarah will have a son.”^{[c] 10} And even more to the point is the case of Rivkah; for both her children were conceived in a single act with Yitz’chak, our father; ¹¹ and before they were born, before they had done anything at all, either good or bad (so that God’s plan might remain a matter of his sovereign choice, not dependent on what they did, but on God, who does the calling), ¹² it was said to her, “The older will serve the younger.”^{[d] 13} This accords with where it is written, “Ya‘akov I loved, but Esav I hated.”^[e]

¹⁴ So are we to say, “It is unjust for God to do this”? Heaven forbid! ¹⁵ For to Moshe he says, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will pity whom I pity.”^{[f] 16} Thus it doesn’t depend on human desires or efforts, but on God, who has mercy.