God’s Gracious Election of Israel

⁶ Now it is not as though the word of God has failed,^(A) because not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.^{(B) 7} Neither is it the case that all of Abraham’s children are his descendants.^[a](C) On the contrary, your offspring will be traced^[b] through Isaac.^{[c](D) 8} That is, it is not the children by physical descent^[d] who are God’s children,^(E) but the children of the promise^(F) are considered to be the offspring.

God’s Selection Is Just

¹⁴ What should we say then?^(A) Is there injustice with God?^(B) Absolutely not!^{(C) 15} For he tells Moses, I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.^{[a](D) 16} So then, it does not depend on human will or effort^(E) but on God who shows mercy.^{(F) 17} For the Scripture tells Pharaoh, I raised you up for this reason so that I may display my power in you and that my name may be proclaimed in the whole earth.^{[b](G) 18} So then, he has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy and he hardens whom he wants to harden.^(H)

¹⁹ You will say to me,^(I) therefore, “Why then does he still find fault?^(J) For who resists his will?” ^{(K) 20} On the contrary, who are you, a human being, to talk back to God?^(L) Will what is formed say to the one who formed it, “Why did you make me like this?” ^{(M) 21} Or has the potter no right over the clay,^(N) to make from the same lump one piece of pottery for honor and another for dishonor? ²² And what if God, wanting to display his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much patience^(O) objects of wrath prepared for destruction?^{(P) 23} And what if he did this to make known the riches of his glory^(Q) on objects of mercy^(R) that he prepared beforehand for glory^(S)— ²⁴ on us, the ones he also called,^(T) not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?^{(U) 25} As it^[c] also says in Hosea,

Israel’s Present State

³⁰ What should we say then?^(A) Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained righteousness—namely the righteousness that comes from faith.^{(B) 31} But Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness,^(C) has not achieved the righteousness of the law.^{[a](D) 32} Why is that? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were by works.^[b] They stumbled over the stumbling stone.^{(E) 33} As it is written,

Living by Faith

11 Now faith is the reality^[a] of what is hoped for, the proof^[b] of what is not seen.^{(A) 2} For by this our ancestors were approved.

³ By faith we understand that the universe was^[c] created by the word of God,^(B) so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.^[d]

⁴ By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was approved as a righteous man, because God approved his gifts, and even though he is dead, he still speaks through his faith.^(C)

⁵ By faith Enoch was taken away, and so he did not experience death. He was not to be found because God took him away.^[e] For before he was taken away, he was approved as one who pleased God.^{(D) 6} Now without faith it is impossible to please God, since the one who draws near to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

⁷ By faith Noah, after he was warned about what was not yet seen and motivated by godly fear, built an ark to deliver his family. By faith he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.^(E)

⁸ By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and set out for a place that he was going to receive as an inheritance. He went out, even though he did not know where he was going.^{(F) 9} By faith he stayed as a foreigner in the land of promise, living in tents as did Isaac and Jacob, coheirs of the same promise.^{(G) 10} For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.^(H)

¹¹ By faith even Sarah herself, when she was unable to have children, received power to conceive offspring, even though she was past the age, since she^[f] considered that the one who had promised was faithful.^{(I) 12} Therefore, from one man—in fact, from one as good as dead—came offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and as innumerable as the grains of sand along the seashore.^(J)

¹³ These all died in faith, although they had not received the things that were promised. But they saw them from a distance,^(K) greeted them, and confessed that they were foreigners and temporary residents on the earth.^{(L) 14} Now those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. ¹⁵ If they were thinking about where they came from, they would have had an opportunity to return. ¹⁶ But they now desire a better place—a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.^(M)

¹⁷ By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac.^(N) He received the promises and yet he was offering his one and only son, ¹⁸ the one to whom it had been said, Your offspring^[g] will be traced through Isaac.^{[h](O) 19} He considered God to be able even to raise someone from the dead;^(P) therefore, he received him back, figuratively speaking.^[i]

²⁰ By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau^(Q) concerning things to come. ²¹ By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and he worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.^{[j](R) 22} By faith Joseph, as he was nearing the end of his life, mentioned^[k] the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions concerning his bones.^(S)

²³ By faith Moses, after he was born, was hidden by his parents for three months, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they didn’t fear the king’s edict.^{(T) 24} By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter ²⁵ and chose to suffer with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasure of sin.^{(U) 26} For he considered reproach for the sake of Christ to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, since he was looking ahead to the reward.^(V)

²⁷ By faith he left Egypt behind, not being afraid of the king’s anger, for Moses persevered as one who sees him who is invisible.^{(W) 28} By faith he instituted the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn might not touch the Israelites. ²⁹ By faith they crossed the Red Sea as though they were on dry land. When the Egyptians attempted to do this, they were drowned.^(X)

³⁰ By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after being marched around by the Israelites for seven days. ³¹ By faith Rahab the prostitute welcomed the spies in peace and didn’t perish with those who disobeyed.^(Y)

³² And what more can I say? Time is too short for me to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah,^(Z) David, Samuel, and the prophets,^{(AA) 33} who by faith conquered kingdoms,^(AB) administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions,^{(AC) 34} quenched the raging of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength in weakness, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight.^{(AD) 35} Women received their dead, raised to life again. Other people were tortured, not accepting release, so that they might gain a better resurrection. ³⁶ Others experienced mockings and scourgings, as well as bonds and imprisonment.^{(AE) 37} They were stoned,^[l](AF) they were sawed in two, they died by the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins,^(AG) destitute, afflicted, and mistreated. ³⁸ The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and on mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.

³⁹ All these were approved through their faith, but they did not receive what was promised, ⁴⁰ since God had provided something better for us, so that they would not be made perfect without us.^(AH)

¹⁹ Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, bearing this inscription:^(A) The Lord knows those who are his,^[a](B) and let everyone who calls on the name^(C) of^[b] the Lord turn away from wickedness.^(D)

⁹ But you are a chosen race,^[a][b](A) a royal priesthood,^[c](B) a holy nation,^[d](C) a people for his possession,^[e](D) so that you may proclaim the praises^[f][g](E) of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.^{(F) 10} Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy,^(G) but now you have received mercy.