Romans 9
International Standard Version
Paul’s Concern for the Jewish People
9 I am telling the truth because I belong to[a] the Messiah[b]—I am not lying, and my conscience confirms it by means of the Holy Spirit. 2 I have deep sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart, 3 for I could wish that I myself were condemned[c] and cut off from the Messiah[d] for the sake of my brothers, my own people,[e] 4 who are Israelis. To them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants,[f] the giving of the Law, the worship, and the promises. 5 To the Israelis[g] belong the patriarchs, and from them, the Messiah[h] descended,[i] who is God over all, the one who is forever blessed. Amen.
6 Now it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all Israelis truly belong to Israel, 7 and not all of Abraham’s descendants are his true descendants. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that descendants will be named for you.”[j] 8 That is, it is not merely the children born through natural descent who were regarded as God’s children, but it is the children born through the promise who were regarded as descendants. 9 For this is the language of the promise: “At this time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”[k] 10 Not only that, but Rebecca became pregnant by our ancestor Isaac. 11 Yet before their children[l] had been born or had done anything good or bad (so that God’s plan of election might continue to operate 12 according to his calling and not by actions), Rebecca[m] was told, “The older child will serve the younger one.”[n] 13 So it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”[o]
14 What can we say, then? God is not unrighteous, is he? Of course not! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will be merciful to the person I want to be merciful to, and I will be kind to the person I want to be kind to.”[p] 16 Therefore, God’s choice[q] does not depend on a person’s will or effort, but on God himself, who shows mercy. 17 For the Scripture says about Pharaoh,
“I have raised you up for this very purpose,
to demonstrate my power through you
and that my name might be proclaimed
in all the earth.”[r]
18 Therefore, God[s] has mercy on whomever he chooses, and he hardens the heart of whomever he chooses.
God Chose People who are Not Jewish
19 You may ask me, “Then why does God[t] still find fault with anybody?[u] For who can resist his will?” 20 On the contrary, who are you—mere man that you are—to talk back to God? Can an object that was molded say to the one who molded it, “Why did you make me like this?” 21 A potter has the right to do what he wants to with his clay, doesn’t he? He can make something for a special occasion or something for ordinary use from the same lump of clay.
22 Now if God wants to demonstrate his wrath and reveal his power, can’t he be extremely patient with the objects of his wrath that are made for destruction? 23 Can’t he also reveal his glorious riches to the objects of his mercy that he has prepared ahead of time for glory— 24 including us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but from the gentiles as well? 25 As the Scripture[v] says in Hosea,
“Those who are not my people
I will call my people,
and the one who was not loved
I will call my loved one.[w]
26 In the very place where it was told them,
‘You are not my people,’
they will be called children of the living God.”[x]
27 Isaiah also calls out concerning Israel,
“Although the descendants of Israel
are as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore,
only a few will be saved.
28 For the Lord[y] will carry out his plan decisively,
bringing it to completion on the earth.”[z]
29 It is just as Isaiah predicted:
“If the Lord of the Heavenly Armies
had not left us some descendants,
we would have become like Sodom
and would have been compared to Gomorrah.”[aa]
30 What can we say, then? Gentiles, who were not pursuing righteousness, have attained righteousness, a righteousness that comes through faith. 31 But Israel, who pursued righteousness based on the Law, did not achieve the Law. 32 Why not? Because they did not pursue it on the basis of faith, but as if it were based on achievements. They stumbled over the stone that causes people to stumble. 33 As it is written,
“Look! I am placing a stone in Zion
over which people will stumble—
a large rock that will make them fall—
and the one who believes in him will never be ashamed.”[ab]
Footnotes
- Romans 9:1 Lit. truth in
- Romans 9:1 Or Christ
- Romans 9:3 Or accursed
- Romans 9:3 Or Christ
- Romans 9:3 Lit. own relatives according to the flesh
- Romans 9:4 Other mss. read the covenant
- Romans 9:5 Lit. To them
- Romans 9:5 Or Christ
- Romans 9:5 Lit. Messiah according to the flesh
- Romans 9:7 Cf. Gen 21:12
- Romans 9:9 Cf. Gen 18:10, 14
- Romans 9:11 Lit. they
- Romans 9:12 Lit. she
- Romans 9:12 Cf. Gen 25:23
- Romans 9:13 Cf. Mal 1:2-3
- Romans 9:15 Cf. Exod 33:19
- Romans 9:16 Lit. it
- Romans 9:17 Cf. Exod 9:16
- Romans 9:18 Lit. he
- Romans 9:19 Lit. he
- Romans 9:19 The Gk. lacks with anybody
- Romans 9:25 Lit. As it
- Romans 9:25 Cf. Hos 2:23
- Romans 9:26 Cf. Hos 1:10
- Romans 9:28 MT source citation reads Lord
- Romans 9:28 Cf. Isa 10:22-23
- Romans 9:29 Cf. Isa 1:9
- Romans 9:33 Cf. Isa 28:16
Romans 9
Mounce Reverse Interlinear New Testament
9 I am telling legō the truth alētheia in en Christ Christos— I am not ou lying pseudomai; my egō conscience syneidēsis bears symmartyreō witness with me egō · ho in en the Holy hagios Spirit pneuma— 2 that hoti I egō have eimi great megas sorrow lypē and kai unceasing adialeiptos anguish odynē in ho my egō heart kardia. 3 For gar I could wish euchomai that I egō myself autos were eimi accursed anathema, cut off from apo · ho Christ Christos, for hyper the sake of ho my egō brethren adelphos, · ho my egō kinsmen syngenēs according kata to the flesh sarx, 4 who hostis are eimi Israelites Israēlitēs. To them hos belong the ho adoption hyiothesia, · kai the ho glory doxa, · kai the ho covenants diathēkē, · kai the ho giving nomothesia of the law , · kai the ho temple latreia worship , and kai the ho promises epangelia. 5 To them hos belong the ho patriarchs patēr, and kai from ek them hos by kata human descent sarx came the ho Christ Christos, · ho who ho is eimi God theos over epi all pas, blessed eulogētos for eis all ho time aiōn. Amen amēn.
6 But de it is not ou as hoios though hoti the ho word logos of ho God theos had failed ekpiptō. For gar not ou all pas who ho are descended from ek Israel Israēl are actually Israel Israēl; 7 neither oude are they all pas children teknon of Abraham Abraam because hoti they are eimi his descendants sperma; on the contrary alla, “It is through en Isaac Isaak that your sy descendants sperma will be named kaleō.” 8 This houtos means eimi it is not ou the ho children teknon of the ho flesh sarx who houtos are children teknon of ho God theos, but alla the ho children teknon of the ho promise epangelia are counted logizomai as eis descendants sperma. 9 For gar this houtos is what ho the promise epangelia said logos: “ About kata · ho this houtos time kairos next year I will return erchomai and kai Sarah Sarra will have eimi · ho a son hyios.” 10 Not ou only monon that, · de but alla · kai when echō Rebecca Rhebekka had echō conceived koitē twins by ek one heis man , our hēmeis forefather patēr Isaac Isaak · ho— 11 for gar even before mēpō they were born gennaō or mēde had prassō done anything tis either good agathos or ē bad phaulos so hina that · ho God’ s theos purpose prothesis according kata to election eklogē · ho might stand menō, 12 not ou because ek of works ergon, but alla because ek of his ho call kaleō— it was said legō to her autos, “ The ho older megas will serve douleuō the ho younger elassōn.” 13 As kathōs it is written graphō, · ho “ Jacob Iakōb I loved agapaō, · ho but de Esau ēsau I hated miseō.”
14 What tis then oun shall we say legō? Is there not mē injustice adikia on God’ s theos part para? · ho By no means mē! 15 For gar he says legō to ho Moses Mōysēs, “ I will have mercy eleeō on whom hos I have mercy eleeō, and kai I will have compassion oiktirō on whom hos I have compassion oiktirō.” 16 So ara then oun, it does not ou depend on ho human thelō desire or oude · ho exertion trechō, but alla on ho God’ s theos mercy eleaō. 17 For gar the ho scripture graphē says legō to ho Pharaoh Pharaō, “ For eis this very autos purpose houtos I have raised exegeirō you sy up , that hopōs I might display endeiknymi my egō power dynamis in en you sy, · ho and kai that hopōs my egō name onoma might be proclaimed diangellō · ho in en all pas the ho earth gē.” 18 So ara then oun, God has mercy on eleeō whomever hos he wills thelō, and de he hardens sklērynō whomever hos he wills thelō. 19 So oun you will say legō to me egō, “ Why tis then oun does he still eti find memphomai fault ? For gar who tis can resist anthistēmi · ho his autos will boulēma?” 20 But menounge who tis are eimi you sy, a mere ō mortal anthrōpos, · ho to criticize antapokrinomai · ho God theos? Certainly the ho thing plasma that is molded plasma may not mē say legō to the ho one who molded plassō it, “ Why tis have you made poieō me egō like houtōs this ?” 21 Has echō the ho potter kerameus no ou right exousia to make poieō from ek the ho same autos lump phyrama of ho clay pēlos some hos men pottery skeuos for eis a special timē occasion and de other hos for eis common atimia use? 22 What de if ei God theos, willing thelō · ho to display endeiknymi his ho wrath orgē and kai make gnōrizō known · ho his autos power dynatos, has endured pherō with en great polys patience makrothumia the objects skeuos of wrath orgē prepared katartizō for eis destruction apōleia? 23 And kai what if he did so in order hina to make gnōrizō known the ho riches ploutos of ho his autos glory doxa to epi the objects skeuos of mercy eleos, which hos he prepared proetoimazō beforehand for eis glory doxa— 24 even kai us hēmeis, whom hos he has called kaleō, not ou only monon from ek the Jews Ioudaios, but alla also kai from ek the Gentiles ethnos. 25 As hōs he legō also kai says legō in en · ho Hosea hōsēe, “ Those ho who were not ou my egō people laos, I will call kaleō ‘ my egō people laos,’ and kai her ho who was not ou beloved agapaō, I will call ‘ beloved agapaō.’” 26 “ And kai it will happen eimi that in en the ho very place topos where hou God said legō to them autos, ‘ You hymeis are not ou my egō people laos,’ there ekei they will be called kaleō ‘ sons hyios of the living zaō God theos.’” 27 Isaiah ēsaias · de cries krazō out concerning hyper · ho Israel Israēl, “ Even if ean the ho number arithmos of the ho sons hyios of Israel Israēl were eimi as hōs the ho sand ammos of the ho sea thalassa, only ho a remnant hypoleimma will be saved sōzō; 28 for gar the Lord kyrios will carry out poieō his sentence logos on epi the ho earth gē, thoroughly synteleō and kai without syntemnō delay .” 29 And kai as kathōs Isaiah ēsaias predicted, “ If ei the Lord kyrios of hosts Sabaōth had not mē left enkataleipō to us hēmeis descendants sperma, we ginomai would an have become ginomai like hōs Sodom Sodoma, and kai would an have resembled homoioō Gomorrah Gomorra.”
30 What tis then oun shall we say legō?— that hoti the Gentiles ethnos who ho did not mē pursue diōkō righteousness dikaiosynē have obtained katalambanō it dikaiosynē, the righteousness dikaiosynē · de that ho is by ek faith pistis; 31 but de Israel Israēl, even though it pursued diōkō a law nomos that would produce righteousness dikaiosynē, did not ou attain phthanō it nomos? 32 Why not dia? Because hoti they did not ou pursue it by ek faith pistis, but alla as hōs though it were by ek works ergon. They stumbled proskoptō over the ho stumbling proskomma stone lithos, · ho 33 as kathōs it is written graphō, “ Behold idou, I am laying tithēmi in en Zion Siōn a stone lithos that makes them stumble proskomma and kai a rock petra that trips skandalon them up ; but kai the ho one who believes pisteuō in epi him autos will not ou be put to shame kataischunō.”
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