⁶ However, it is not as though God’s word has failed [coming to nothing]. For not all who are descended from Israel (Jacob) are [the true] Israel; ⁷ and they are not all the children of Abraham because they are his descendants [by blood], but [the promise was]: “Your descendants will be named through Isaac” [though Abraham had other sons].^{(A) 8} That is, it is not the children of the body [Abraham’s natural descendants] who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are counted as [Abraham’s true] descendants. ⁹ For this is what the promise said: “About this time [next year] I will come, and Sarah shall have a son.”^{(B) 10} And not only that, but this too: Rebekah conceived twin sons by one man [under the same circumstances], by our father Isaac; ¹¹ and though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything either good or bad, so that God’s purpose [His choice, His election] would stand, not because of works [done by either child], but because of [the plan of] Him who calls them, ¹² it was said to her, “The ^[a]older (Esau) will serve the ^[b]younger (Jacob).”^{(C) 13} As it is written and forever remains written, “^[c]Jacob I loved (chose, protected, blessed), but ^[d]Esau I hated (held in disregard compared to Jacob).”^(D)