Paul’s Anguish Over Israel

9 I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying,^(A) my conscience confirms^(B) it through the Holy Spirit— ² I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. ³ For I could wish that I myself^(C) were cursed^(D) and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people,^(E) those of my own race,^{(F) 4} the people of Israel.^(G) Theirs is the adoption to sonship;^(H) theirs the divine glory,^(I) the covenants,^(J) the receiving of the law,^(K) the temple worship^(L) and the promises.^{(M) 5} Theirs are the patriarchs,^(N) and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah,^(O) who is God over all,^(P) forever praised!^[a](Q) Amen.

God’s Sovereign Choice

⁶ It is not as though God’s word^(R) had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.^{(S) 7} Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”^{[b](T) 8} In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children,^(U) but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.^{(V) 9} For this was how the promise was stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”^[c](W)

¹⁰ Not only that, but Rebekah’s children were conceived at the same time by our father Isaac.^{(X) 11} Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad^(Y)—in order that God’s purpose^(Z) in election might stand: ¹² not by works but by him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”^{[d](AA) 13} Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”^[e](AB)

¹⁴ What then shall we say?^(AC) Is God unjust? Not at all!^{(AD) 15} For he says to Moses,

¹⁶ It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.^{(AF) 17} For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”^{[g](AG) 18} Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.^(AH)

¹⁹ One of you will say to me:^(AI) “Then why does God still blame us?^(AJ) For who is able to resist his will?”^{(AK) 20} But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God?^(AL) “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it,^(AM) ‘Why did you make me like this?’”^{[h](AN) 21} Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?^(AO)

²² What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience^(AP) the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction?^{(AQ) 23} What if he did this to make the riches of his glory^(AR) known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory^(AS)— ²⁴ even us, whom he also called,^(AT) not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?^{(AU) 25} As he says in Hosea:

²⁶ and,

²⁷ Isaiah cries out concerning Israel:

²⁹ It is just as Isaiah said previously:

⁵⁵ As Saul watched David^(A) going out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abner, commander of the army, “Abner,^(B) whose son is that young man?”

Abner replied, “As surely as you live, Your Majesty, I don’t know.”

⁵⁶ The king said, “Find out whose son this young man is.”

⁵⁷ As soon as David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul, with David still holding the Philistine’s head.

⁵⁸ “Whose son are you, young man?” Saul asked him.

David said, “I am the son of your servant Jesse^(C) of Bethlehem.”

Saul’s Growing Fear of David

18 After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan^(D) became one in spirit with David, and he loved^(E) him as himself.^{(F) 2} From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return home to his family. ³ And Jonathan made a covenant^(G) with David because he loved him as himself. ⁴ Jonathan took off the robe^(H) he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.^(I)

⁵ Whatever mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful^(J) that Saul gave him a high rank in the army.^(K) This pleased all the troops, and Saul’s officers as well.

⁶ When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing,^(L) with joyful songs and with timbrels^(M) and lyres. ⁷ As they danced, they sang:^(N)

⁸ Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?^(P)” ⁹ And from that time on Saul kept a close^(Q) eye on David.

¹⁰ The next day an evil^[a] spirit^(R) from God came forcefully on Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre,^(S) as he usually^(T) did. Saul had a spear^(U) in his hand ¹¹ and he hurled it, saying to himself,^(V) “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David eluded^(W) him twice.^(X)

¹² Saul was afraid^(Y) of David, because the Lord^(Z) was with^(AA) David but had departed from^(AB) Saul. ¹³ So he sent David away from him and gave him command over a thousand men, and David led^(AC) the troops in their campaigns.^{(AD) 14} In everything he did he had great success,^(AE) because the Lord was with^(AF) him. ¹⁵ When Saul saw how successful he was, he was afraid of him. ¹⁶ But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he led them in their campaigns.^(AG)

¹⁷ Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter^(AH) Merab. I will give her to you in marriage;^(AI) only serve me bravely and fight the battles^(AJ) of the Lord.” For Saul said to himself,^(AK) “I will not raise a hand against him. Let the Philistines do that!”

¹⁸ But David said to Saul, “Who am I,^(AL) and what is my family or my clan in Israel, that I should become the king’s son-in-law?^(AM)” ¹⁹ So^[b] when the time came for Merab,^(AN) Saul’s daughter, to be given to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah.^(AO)

²⁰ Now Saul’s daughter Michal^(AP) was in love with David, and when they told Saul about it, he was pleased.^{(AQ) 21} “I will give her to him,” he thought, “so that she may be a snare^(AR) to him and so that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “Now you have a second opportunity to become my son-in-law.”

²² Then Saul ordered his attendants: “Speak to David privately and say, ‘Look, the king likes you, and his attendants all love you; now become his son-in-law.’”

²³ They repeated these words to David. But David said, “Do you think it is a small matter to become the king’s son-in-law?^(AS) I’m only a poor man and little known.”

²⁴ When Saul’s servants told him what David had said, ²⁵ Saul replied, “Say to David, ‘The king wants no other price^(AT) for the bride than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take revenge^(AU) on his enemies.’” Saul’s plan^(AV) was to have David fall by the hands of the Philistines.

²⁶ When the attendants told David these things, he was pleased to become the king’s son-in-law. So before the allotted time elapsed, ²⁷ David took his men with him and went out and killed two hundred Philistines and brought back their foreskins. They counted out the full number to the king so that David might become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal^(AW) in marriage.

²⁸ When Saul realized that the Lord was with David and that his daughter Michal^(AX) loved David, ²⁹ Saul became still more afraid^(AY) of him, and he remained his enemy the rest of his days.

³⁰ The Philistine commanders continued to go out to battle, and as often as they did, David met with more success^(AZ) than the rest of Saul’s officers, and his name became well known.

Psalm 63^[a]

A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.