Romans 9:11-10:19

English Standard Version

¹¹ though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of ^(A)him who calls— ¹² she was told, ^(B)“The older will serve the younger.” ¹³ As it is written, ^(C)“Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

¹⁴ What shall we say then? ^(D)Is there injustice on God's part? By no means! ¹⁵ For he says to Moses, ^(E)“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” ¹⁶ So then it depends not on human will or exertion,^[a] but on God, who has mercy. ¹⁷ For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, ^(F)“For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” ¹⁸ So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

¹⁹ You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For ^(G)who can resist his will?” ²⁰ But who are you, O man, ^(H)to answer back to God? ^(I)Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” ^21 (J)Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump ^(K)one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? ²² What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience ^(L)vessels of wrath ^(M)prepared for destruction, ²³ in order to make known ^(N)the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he ^(O)has prepared beforehand for glory— ²⁴ even us whom he ^(P)has called, ^(Q)not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? ²⁵ As indeed he says in Hosea,

²⁷ And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: ^(U)“Though the number of the sons of Israel^[b] be as the sand of the sea, ^(V)only a remnant of them will be saved, ²⁸ for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay.” ²⁹ And as Isaiah predicted,

Israel's Unbelief

³⁰ What shall we say, then? ^(Z)That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, ^(AA)a righteousness that is by faith; ³¹ but that Israel ^(AB)who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness^{[c] (AC)}did not succeed in reaching that law. ³² Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the ^(AD)stumbling stone, ³³ as it is written,

10 Brothers,^[d] my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. ² For I bear them witness that ^(AI)they have a zeal for God, ^(AJ)but not according to knowledge. ³ For, being ignorant of ^(AK)the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. ⁴ For ^(AL)Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.^[e]

The Message of Salvation to All

⁵ For ^(AM)Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that ^(AN)the person who does the commandments shall live by them. ⁶ But ^(AO)the righteousness based on faith says, ^(AP)“Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) ⁷ “or ‘Who will descend into the ^(AQ)abyss?’” (that is, ^(AR)to bring Christ up from the dead). ⁸ But what does it say? ^(AS)“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); ⁹ because, if ^(AT)you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and ^(AU)believe in your heart ^(AV)that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. ¹¹ For the Scripture says, ^(AW)“Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” ^12 (AX)For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; ^(AY)for the same Lord is Lord of all, ^(AZ)bestowing his riches on all who call on him. ¹³ For ^(BA)“everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

¹⁴ How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him ^(BB)of whom they have never heard?^[f] And how are they to hear ^(BC)without someone preaching? ¹⁵ And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ^(BD)“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” ¹⁶ But ^(BE)they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, ^(BF)“Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” ¹⁷ So ^(BG)faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

¹⁸ But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for

¹⁹ But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says,