⁷ nor are they all children ^(A)because they are Abraham’s seed, but: “^[a](B)through Isaac your seed will be named.” ⁸ That is, the children of the flesh are not the ^(C)children of God, but the ^(D)children of the promise are considered as seed. ⁹ For this is the word of promise: “^(E)At this time I will come, and Sarah shall have a son.” ^10 (F)And not only this, but there was ^(G)Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac; ¹¹ for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that the ^(H)purpose of God according to His choice would ^[b]stand, not ^[c]because of works but ^[d]because of Him who calls, ¹² it was said to her, “^(I)The older shall serve the younger.” ¹³ Just as it is written, “^(J)Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

^14 (K)What shall we say then? ^(L)Is there any unrighteousness with God? ^(M)May it never be! ¹⁵ For He says to Moses, “^(N)I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” ¹⁶ So then it does not depend on the one who wills or the one who ^(O)runs, but on ^(P)God who has mercy. ¹⁷ For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “^(Q)For this very purpose I raised you up, in order to demonstrate My power in you, and in order that My name might be proclaimed ^[e]throughout the whole earth.” ¹⁸ So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He ^(R)hardens whom He desires.

^19 (S)You will say to me then, “^(T)Why does He still find fault? For ^(U)who resists His will?” ²⁰ On the contrary, who are you, ^(V)O man, who ^(W)answers back to God? ^(X)Will the thing molded say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this”? ²¹ Or does not the potter have authority over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel ^[f]for honorable use and another ^[g]for dishonorable use? ²² And ^[h]what if God, wanting to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much ^(Y)patience vessels of wrath ^(Z)having been prepared for destruction, ²³ and in order that He might make known ^(AA)the riches of His glory upon ^(AB)vessels of mercy, which He ^(AC)prepared beforehand for glory— ²⁴ even us, whom He also ^(AD)called, ^(AE)not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles? ²⁵ As He says also in Hosea,

²⁷ And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “^(AI)Though the number of the sons of Israel be ^(AJ)like the sand of the sea, it is ^(AK)the remnant that will be saved; ^28 (AL)for the Lord will execute His word on the land, ^[i]thoroughly and ^[j]quickly.” ²⁹ And just as Isaiah foretold,

^30 (AP)What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, laid hold of righteousness, even ^(AQ)the righteousness which is ^[m]by faith; ³¹ but Israel, ^(AR)pursuing a law of righteousness, did not ^(AS)attain that law. ³² Why? Because they did not pursue it ^[n]by faith, but as though it were ^[o]by works. They stumbled over ^(AT)the stumbling stone, ³³ just as it is written,

²⁹ And if ^(A)you ^[a]belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s ^[b]seed, heirs according to ^(B)promise.