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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 that hoti I egō have eimi great megas sorrow lypē and kai unceasing adialeiptos anguish odynē in ho my egō heart kardia. 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, 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. 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.

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; 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.” 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. 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 injustice adikia on God’ s theos part para? · ho By no means ! 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 .” 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 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 , 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 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 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.”

God’s Election of Israel

I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience confirms it by the Holy Spirit(A) I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my own brothers and sisters, my own flesh and blood.(B) They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises;(C) to them belong the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, comes the Christ, who is over all, God blessed forever.[a] Amen.(D)

It is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all those descended from Israel are Israelites,(E) and not all of Abraham’s children are his descendants, but “it is through Isaac that descendants shall be named for you.”(F) This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as descendants. For the word of the promise is this: “About this time I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.”(G) 10 Nor is that all; something similar happened to Rebecca when she had conceived children by one husband, our ancestor Isaac:(H) 11 even before they had been born or had done anything good or bad (so that God’s purpose of election might continue, 12 not by works but by his call) she was told, “The elder shall serve the younger.”(I) 13 As it is written,

“I have loved Jacob,
    but I have hated Esau.”(J)

14 What then are we to say? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means!(K) 15 For he says to Moses,

“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,
    and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”(L)

16 So it depends not on human will or exertion but on God who shows mercy. 17 For the scripture says to Pharaoh, “I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I may show my power in you and that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.”(M) 18 So then he has mercy on whomever he chooses, and he hardens the heart of whomever he chooses.

God’s Wrath and Mercy

19 You will say to me then, “Why then does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?”(N) 20 But who indeed are you, a human, to argue with God? Will what is molded say to the one who molds it, “Why have you made me like this?”(O) 21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one object for special use and another for ordinary use?(P) 22 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience the objects of wrath that are made for destruction,(Q) 23 and what if he has done so in order to make known the riches of his glory for the objects of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— 24 including us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the gentiles? 25 As he also says in Hosea,

“Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’
    and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’ ”(R)
26 “And in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’
    there they shall be called children of the living God.”(S)

27 And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “Though the number of the children of Israel were like the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved,(T) 28 for the Lord will execute his sentence on the earth quickly and decisively.”[b] 29 And as Isaiah predicted,

“If the Lord of hosts had not left descendants to us,
    we would have fared like Sodom
    and been made like Gomorrah.”(U)

Israel’s Unbelief

30 What then are we to say? Gentiles, who did not strive for righteousness, have attained it, that is, righteousness through faith,(V) 31 but Israel, who did strive for the law of righteousness, did not attain that law.(W) 32 Why not? Because they did not strive for it on the basis of faith but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone,(X) 33 as it is written,

“See, I am laying in Zion a stone that will make people stumble, a rock that will make them fall,
    and whoever trusts in him[c] will not be put to shame.”(Y)

Footnotes

  1. 9.5 Or Messiah, who is God over all, blessed forever; or Messiah. May he who is God over all be blessed forever
  2. 9.28 Other ancient authorities read for he will finish his work and cut it short in righteousness, because the Lord will make the sentence shortened on the earth
  3. 9.33 Or it