Israel’s Rejection of Christ

9 I ^(A)tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, ^2 (B)that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. ³ For ^(C)I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my ^[a]countrymen according to the flesh, ⁴ who are Israelites, ^(D)to whom pertain the adoption, ^(E)the glory, ^(F)the covenants, ^(G)the giving of the law, ^(H)the service of God, and ^(I)the promises; ^5 (J)of whom are the fathers and from ^(K)whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, ^(L)who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.

Israel’s Rejection and God’s Purpose^(M)

^6 (N)But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For ^(O)they are not all Israel who are of Israel, ^7 (P)nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, ^(Q)“In Isaac your seed shall be called.” ⁸ That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but ^(R)the children of the promise are counted as the seed. ⁹ For this is the word of promise: ^(S)“At this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son.”

¹⁰ And not only this, but when ^(T)Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac ¹¹ (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of ^(U)Him who calls), ¹² it was said to her, ^(V)“The older shall serve the younger.” ¹³ As it is written, ^(W)“Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.”

Polluted Offerings to God

1 The ^[a]burden of the word of the Lord to Israel ^[b]by Malachi.

Israel Beloved of God

Thus says the Lord of hosts:

⁹ “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are ^(A)rich); and I know the blasphemy of ^(B)those who say they are Jews and are not, ^(C)but are a ^[a]synagogue of Satan. ^10 (D)Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. ^(E)Be faithful until death, and I will give you ^(F)the crown of life.

⁹ So ^(A)the great dragon was cast out, ^(B)that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, ^(C)who deceives the whole world; ^(D)he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

³ And I saw one of his heads ^(A)as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And ^(B)all the world marveled and followed the beast. ⁴ So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, ^(C)“Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”

⁵ And he was given ^(D)a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to ^[a]continue for ^(E)forty-two months. ⁶ Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, ^(F)His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. ⁷ It was granted to him ^(G)to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And ^(H)authority was given him over every ^[b]tribe, tongue, and nation. ⁸ All who dwell on the earth will worship him, ^(I)whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain ^(J)from the foundation of the world.

^13 (A)He performs great signs, ^(B)so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. ^14 (C)And he deceives ^[a]those who dwell on the earth ^(D)by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword ^(E)and lived. ¹⁵ He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak ^(F)and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. ¹⁶ He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, ^(G)to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, ¹⁷ and that no one may buy or sell except one who has ^[b]the mark or ^(H)the name of the beast, ^(I)or the number of his name.

^18 (J)Here is wisdom. Let him who has ^(K)understanding calculate ^(L)the number of the beast, ^(M)for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.

¹⁶ lest there be any ^(A)fornicator or ^[a]profane person like Esau, ^(B)who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. ¹⁷ For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was ^(C)rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.