Romans 9

Wycliffe Bible

9 I say truth in Christ Jesus, I lie not, for my conscience beareth witnessing to me in the Holy Ghost, [I say truth in Christ Jesus, I lie not, my conscience bearing witness to me in the Holy Ghost,]

² for great heaviness is to me, and continual sorrow to my heart.

³ For I myself desired to be separated from Christ for my brethren [Forsooth I myself desired to be cursed, or parted, from Christ for my brethren], that be my cousins after the flesh,

⁴ that be men of Israel [that be Israelites]; whose is adoption of sons, and glory, and testament, and giving of the law, and service, and promises;

⁵ whose be the fathers, and of which is Christ after the flesh^[a], that is God above all things, blessed into worlds. Amen.

⁶ But not that the word of God hath fallen down [Soothly not that the word of God hath fallen down, or failed unfulfilled]. For not all that be of Israel, these be Israelites.

⁷ Neither they that be [the] seed of Abraham, all be sons; but in Isaac the seed shall be called to thee;

⁸ that is to say, not they that be sons of the flesh, be sons of God, but they that be sons of [the] promise be deemed in the seed.

⁹ For why this is the word of promise, After this time I shall come, and a son shall be to Sarah.

¹⁰ And not only she, but also Rebecca had two sons of one lying-by of Isaac, our father. [Forsooth not only she, but and Rebecca, of one lying-by, or of one knowing of man, having two sons of Isaac, our father.]

¹¹ And when they were not yet born, neither had done any thing of good either evil [or evil], that the purpose of God should dwell by election [that the purpose of God should dwell after election], not of works, but of God calling,

¹² it was said to him, That the more should serve the less, [it is said to her, For the more shall serve to the less,]

¹³ as it is written, I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau. [as it is written, I loved Jacob, forsooth Esau I had in hate.]

¹⁴ What therefore shall we say? Whether wickedness be with God? God forbid [Far be it].

¹⁵ For he saith to Moses, I shall have mercy on whom I shall have mercy; and I shall give mercy on whom I shall have mercy.

¹⁶ Therefore it is not neither of man willing [Therefore it is not neither of a man willing], neither running, but of God having mercy.

¹⁷ And the scripture saith to Pharaoh [Forsooth the scripture saith to Pharaoh], For to this thing I have stirred thee, that I show in thee my virtue, and that my name be told in all [the] earth.

¹⁸ Therefore of whom God will, he hath mercy; and whom he will, he endureth [and whom he will, he endureth, or hardeneth].

¹⁹ Then sayest thou to me, What is sought yet [What thing is yet sought]? for who withstandeth his will?

²⁰ O! man, who art thou, that answerest to God? Whether a made thing saith to him that made it, What hast thou made me so?

²¹ Whether a potter of clay hath not power to make of the same gobbet one vessel into honour, another into despite? [Whether a potter of clay hath not power of the same gobbet to make soothly one vessel into honour, another forsooth into despite, or low office?]

²² And if God willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, hath suffered in great patience vessels of wrath able into death, [That if God willing to show wrath, and to make his power known, sustained in great patience the vessels of wrath able into perdition, or damnation,]

²³ to show the riches of his glory [that he should show the riches of his glory] into vessels of mercy, which he made ready into glory.

²⁴ Which also he called [us,] not only of the Jews, but also of heathen men,

²⁵ as he saith in Osee, I shall call not my people my people, and not my loved my loved, and not getting mercy getting mercy [and not having mercy having mercy];

²⁶ and it shall be in the place, where it is said to them, Not ye my people, there they shall be called the sons of living God.

²⁷ But Esaias crieth for Israel [Forsooth Esaias crieth for Israel], If the number of children of Israel shall be as [the] gravel of the sea, the remnants [the reliefs] shall be made safe.

²⁸ Forsooth a word making an end, and abridging in equity, for the Lord shall make a word abridged on all the earth^[b].

²⁹ And as Esaias before-said, But God of hosts had left to us seed, we had been made as Sodom, and we had been like as Gomorrha.

³⁰ Therefore what shall we say? That heathen men that followed not rightwiseness, have gotten rightwiseness [have caught rightwiseness], yea, the rightwiseness that is of faith.

³¹ But Israel following the law of rightwiseness, came not perfectly to [into] the law of rightwiseness.

³² Why? For not of faith, but as of works. And they spurned against the stone of offence [Soothly they offended against the stone of offence, or spurning],

³³ as it is written, Lo! I put a stone of offence in Sion, and a stone of stumbling; and each that shall believe in it, shall not be confounded. [as it is written, Lo! I put a stone of spurning in Sion, and a stone of offence; and each that shall believe into it, shall not be confounded, or shamed.]