Romans 9
King James Version
9 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,
2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.
3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
4 Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth 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 as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
9 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son.
10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted 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 hast thou made me thus?
21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
25 As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.
26 And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.
27 Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:
28 For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.
29 And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.
30 What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.
31 But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.
32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;
33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
Romanos 9
Palabra de Dios para Todos
Dios y el pueblo de Israel
9 Soy seguidor de Cristo, el Espíritu Santo guía mi conciencia y me dice que no estoy mintiendo. Digo la verdad: 2 tengo una gran tristeza y llevo siempre un gran dolor en el corazón. 3 Espero que pueda ayudar a mis compatriotas, que son mi propia raza. ¡Incluso estaría dispuesto a recibir una maldición y correr el riesgo de ser separado de Cristo si eso sirviera para ayudarlos! 4 Ellos son el pueblo de Israel, son los hijos que Dios eligió; les mostró su gloria cuando recibieron los pactos que hizo con su pueblo. Dios les dio la ley, la adoración en el templo[a] y sus promesas. 5 Sus antepasados son los patriarcas. De ellos desciende físicamente el Mesías, quien es Dios sobre todos,[b] bendito para siempre. Así sea.[c]
6 Como dije, ellos me dan mucha tristeza, pero eso no quiere decir que la promesa que Dios les hizo haya fallado. Lo que pasa es que no todos los que son descendientes de Israel son el verdadero Israel.[d] 7 (A)Ni todos son verdaderos hijos de Abraham por ser sus descendientes. Como Dios dijo: «Tu descendencia será trazada sólo a través de Isaac».[e] 8 O sea que no todos los descendientes físicos de Abraham son hijos de Dios. Son verdaderos hijos de Dios los que son hijos de Dios de acuerdo con la promesa que Dios le hizo a Abraham, 9 (B)cuando le prometió: «El año que viene[f] yo volveré, y Sara tendrá un hijo».[g]
10 Y eso no es todo, Rebeca también tendría hijos. Esos hijos fueron los hijos de nuestro antepasado Isaac. 11-13 (C)Antes del nacimiento de los niños, Dios le anunció a Rebeca: «El hijo mayor va a ser siervo del menor».[h] Lo dijo así para demostrar que ese era su plan. Dios eligió a ese niño para demostrar que él elige a quien quiere, y su elección no dependió de lo que los niños hubieran hecho.
14 Entonces, ¿qué podemos decir en cuanto a esto? ¿Que Dios es injusto? 15 (D)¡Claro que no! Dios dijo a Moisés: «Tendré compasión y piedad de quien yo quiera».[i] 16 Así que Dios decide de quién va a tener compasión. Su decisión no depende de lo que la gente quiera o se afane por hacer. 17 (E)En la Escritura Dios dice al faraón: «Te elevé al puesto de rey para demostrar mi poder en tu vida y para darme a conocer en toda la tierra».[j] 18 Entonces Dios tiene compasión de quien él quiere tenerla y también es duro con quien él quiere serlo.
19 Así que si alguno me preguntara: «Si nadie puede resistirse a lo que Dios quiere, ¿por qué, entonces, Dios nos echa la culpa?» 20 ¡Hombre, no salgas con esas! Sólo eres un ser humano y no tienes derecho a pedirle cuentas a Dios. La olla de barro no le puede decir al que la hizo: «¿Por qué me hiciste así?» 21 El alfarero tiene derecho a decidir qué quiere hacer con el barro y puede hacer del mismo barro un fino jarrón o una jarra ordinaria.
22 Eso mismo sucede con lo que Dios ha hecho. Dios quiso mostrar su ira y también quiso dar a conocer su poder a la gente. Por eso ha soportado con paciencia a aquellos que lo hacen enojar, quienes serán destruidos. 23 Hizo esto para mostrar lo grande y espléndido que es él. Dios muestra compasión con los que él ha preparado para recibir su gloria. 24 Nosotros somos el pueblo que Dios ha preparado. Su pueblo elegido no es sólo el pueblo judío, pues en su pueblo también hay quienes no son judíos. Él nos ha llamado de entre los judíos y de entre los que no son judíos. 25 (F)Así dice en el libro de Oseas:
«A los que no eran mi pueblo,
los llamaré mi pueblo.
A la mujer que no era amada,
la llamaré mi amada».[k]
Y además:
26 (G)«En el mismo lugar donde les dijeron:
“Ustedes no son mi pueblo”,
serán llamados “hijos del Dios viviente”».[l]
27 Isaías proclama acerca de Israel:
«El pueblo de Israel es tan numeroso
como los granos de arena de la playa,
pero sólo unos pocos de ellos se salvarán.
28 (H)Porque el Señor terminará rápidamente
de castigar al mundo».[m]
29 (I)Así como dijo Isaías:
«El Señor Todopoderoso ha dejado
que unos pocos de nuestros descendientes sigan con vida.
Si no fuera así, ya nos habría destruido
como a Sodoma y Gomorra».[n]
30 ¿Y qué significa todo esto? Significa que los que no eran judíos, y ni siquiera estaban buscando la aprobación de Dios, la consiguieron. Pero fue por la fe que llegaron a ser aprobados por Dios. 31 Y el pueblo de Israel que sí estaba buscando cumplir la ley para que Dios lo aprobara, no lo logró. 32 ¿Por qué no lo logró? Porque trataban de ser aprobados por Dios mediante sus propios esfuerzos en lugar de confiar en Dios. Tropezaron con «la piedra de tropiezo». 33 (J)Está escrito:
«Miren, pongo en Sion una piedra de tropiezo;
una roca que los hará caer.
Pero quien confíe en ella
no será defraudado».[o]
Footnotes
- 9:4 la adoración en el templo Textualmente el culto.
- 9:5 sobre todos o sobre judíos o no judíos.
- 9:5 Mesías […] Así sea o el Mesías. Que Dios, que está sobre todo, sea bendito para siempre.
- 9:6 el verdadero Israel El verdadero Israel es el pueblo que Dios eligió para traer bendiciones a todo el mundo, pero no todos los de esa nación cumplen con esta misión.
- 9:7 Cita de Gn 21:12.
- 9:9 El año que viene Textualmente En el momento apropiado.
- 9:9 Cita de Gn 18:10, 14.
- 9:11-13 Cita de Gn 25:23.
- 9:15 Cita de Éx 33:19.
- 9:17 Cita de Éx 9:16.
- 9:25 Cita de Os 2:23.
- 9:26 Cita de Os 1:10.
- 9:27-28 Cita de Is 10:22-23.
- 9:29 Cita de Is 1:9.
- 9:33 Cita de Is 8:14; 28:16.
Romans 9
English Standard Version
God's Sovereign Choice
9 (A)I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For (B)I could wish that I myself were (C)accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers,[a] my kinsmen (D)according to the flesh. 4 They are (E)Israelites, and to them belong (F)the adoption, (G)the glory, (H)the covenants, (I)the giving of the law, (J)the worship, and (K)the promises. 5 To them belong (L)the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, (M)who is God over all, (N)blessed forever. Amen.
6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, 7 and not all are children of Abraham (O)because they are his offspring, but (P)“Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 8 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but (Q)the children of the promise are counted as offspring. 9 For this is what the promise said: (R)“About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.” 10 And not only so, but (S)also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, 11 though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of (T)him who calls— 12 she was told, (U)“The older will serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, (V)“Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
14 What shall we say then? (W)Is there injustice on God's part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, (X)“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion,[b] but on God, who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, (Y)“For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
19 You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For (Z)who can resist his will?” 20 But who are you, O man, (AA)to answer back to God? (AB)Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 (AC)Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump (AD)one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? 22 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience (AE)vessels of wrath (AF)prepared for destruction, 23 in order to make known (AG)the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he (AH)has prepared beforehand for glory— 24 even us whom he (AI)has called, (AJ)not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? 25 As indeed he says in Hosea,
(AK)“Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’
and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’”
26 (AL)“And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’
there they will be called (AM)‘sons of the living God.’”
27 And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: (AN)“Though the number of the sons of Israel[c] be as the sand of the sea, (AO)only a remnant of them will be saved, 28 for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay.” 29 And as Isaiah predicted,
(AP)(AQ)“If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring,
(AR)we would have been like Sodom
and become like Gomorrah.”
Israel's Unbelief
30 What shall we say, then? (AS)That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, (AT)a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but that Israel (AU)who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness[d] (AV)did not succeed in reaching that law. 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the (AW)stumbling stone, 33 as it is written,
(AX)“Behold, I am laying in Zion (AY)a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense;
(AZ)and whoever believes in him will not be (BA)put to shame.”
Footnotes
- Romans 9:3 Or brothers and sisters
- Romans 9:16 Greek not of him who wills or runs
- Romans 9:27 Or children of Israel
- Romans 9:31 Greek a law of righteousness
© 2005, 2015 Bible League International
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
