Romans 9:6-13

The Voice

⁶ Clearly it is not that God’s word has failed. The truth is that not everyone descended from Israel is truly Israel. ⁷ Just because people can claim Abraham as their father does not make them his true children. But in the Scriptures, it says, “Through Isaac your covenant children will be named.”^{[a] 8} The proper interpretation is this: Abraham’s children by natural descent are not necessarily God’s covenant people; what matters is that His children receive and live the promise. ⁹ For this is the word God promised: “In due time, I will come, and Sarah will give birth to a son.”^{[b] 10} But the story didn’t stop there. Remember when Rebekah conceived her twin boys by our father Isaac? ^11-12 The twins were in Rebekah’s womb when God said to her, “The older will serve the younger.”^[c] This was not based on merit or actions; the twins had not done anything to please or displease God. This was God’s call on each son and His desired purposes. ¹³ Just as the Scriptures say, “I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau.”^[d]