Romans 9
Christian Standard Bible
Israel’s Rejection of Christ
9 I speak the truth in Christ(A)—I am not lying; my conscience testifies to me through the Holy Spirit[a]— 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish(B) that I myself were cursed(C) and cut off[b] from Christ for the benefit of my brothers and sisters, my own flesh and blood. 4 They are Israelites,(D) and to them belong the adoption,(E) the glory,(F) the covenants,(G) the giving of the law,(H) the temple service,(I) and the promises.(J) 5 The ancestors are theirs,(K) and from them, by physical descent,[c] came the Christ,(L) who is God(M) over all,(N) praised forever.[d](O) Amen.
God’s Gracious Election of Israel
6 Now it is not as though the word of God has failed,(P) because not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.(Q) 7 Neither is it the case that all of Abraham’s children are his descendants.[e](R) On the contrary, your offspring will be traced[f] through Isaac.[g](S) 8 That is, it is not the children by physical descent[h] who are God’s children,(T) but the children of the promise(U) are considered to be the offspring. 9 For this is the statement of the promise: At this time I will come, and Sarah will have a son.[i](V) 10 And not only that,(W) but Rebekah conceived children(X) through one man, our father Isaac. 11 For though her sons had not been born yet or done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to election might stand(Y)— 12 not from works but from the one who calls—she was told, The older will serve the younger.[j](Z) 13 As it is written: I have loved Jacob, but I have hated Esau.[k](AA)
God’s Selection Is Just
14 What should we say then?(AB) Is there injustice with God?(AC) Absolutely not!(AD) 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.[l](AE) 16 So then, it does not depend on human will or effort(AF) but on God who shows mercy.(AG) 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.[m](AH) 18 So then, he has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy and he hardens whom he wants to harden.(AI)
19 You will say to me,(AJ) therefore, “Why then does he still find fault?(AK) For who resists his will?” (AL) 20 On the contrary, who are you, a human being, to talk back to God?(AM) Will what is formed say to the one who formed it, “Why did you make me like this?” (AN) 21 Or has the potter no right over the clay,(AO) 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(AP) objects of wrath prepared for destruction?(AQ) 23 And what if he did this to make known the riches of his glory(AR) on objects of mercy(AS) that he prepared beforehand for glory(AT)— 24 on us, the ones he also called,(AU) not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?(AV) 25 As it[n] also says in Hosea,
I will call Not My People, My People,
and she who is Unloved, Beloved.[o](AW)
26 And it will be in the place where they were told,
you are not my people,
there they will be called sons of the living God.[p](AX)
27 But Isaiah cries out concerning Israel,
Though the number of Israelites
is like the sand of the sea,(AY)
only the remnant will be saved;(AZ)
28 since the Lord will execute his sentence
completely and decisively on the earth.[q][r] (BA)
29 And just as Isaiah predicted:
If the Lord of Armies had not left us offspring,(BB)
we would have become like Sodom,
and we would have been made like Gomorrah.[s](BC)
Israel’s Present State
30 What should we say then?(BD) Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained righteousness—namely the righteousness that comes from faith.(BE) 31 But Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness,(BF) has not achieved the righteousness of the law.[t](BG) 32 Why is that? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were by works.[u] They stumbled over the stumbling stone.(BH) 33 As it is written,
Look, I am putting a stone in Zion to stumble over
and a rock to trip over,
and the one who believes on him(BI)
will not be put to shame.[v](BJ)
Footnotes
- 9:1 Or testifying with me by the Holy Spirit
- 9:3 Lit to be anathema
- 9:5 Lit them, according to the flesh
- 9:5 Or the Messiah, the one who is over all, the God who is blessed forever, or Messiah. God, who is over all, be blessed forever
- 9:7 Lit seed
- 9:7 Lit called
- 9:7 Gn 21:12
- 9:8 Lit children of the flesh
- 9:9 Gn 18:10,14
- 9:12 Gn 25:23
- 9:13 Mal 1:2–3
- 9:15 Ex 33:19
- 9:17 Ex 9:16
- 9:25 Or he
- 9:25 Hs 2:23
- 9:26 Hs 1:10
- 9:28 Or land
- 9:27–28 Is 10:22–23; 28:22; Hs 1:10
- 9:29 Is 1:9
- 9:31 Other mss read the law for righteousness
- 9:32 Other mss add of the law
- 9:33 Is 8:14; 28:16
Romans 9
Common English Bible
The tragedy of Israel’s unbelief
9 I’m speaking the truth in Christ—I’m not lying, as my conscience assures me with the Holy Spirit: 2 I have great sadness and constant pain in my heart. 3 I wish I could be cursed, cut off from Christ if it helped my brothers and sisters, who are my flesh-and-blood relatives. 4 They are Israelites. The adoption as God’s children, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the Law, the worship, and the promises belong to them. 5 The Jewish ancestors are theirs, and the Christ descended from those ancestors. He is the one who rules over all things, who is God, and who is blessed forever. Amen.
Israel and God’s choice
6 But it’s not as though God’s word has failed. Not all who are descended from Israel are part of Israel. 7 Not all of Abraham’s children are called Abraham’s descendants, but instead your descendants will be named through Isaac.[a] 8 That means it isn’t the natural children who are God’s children, but it is the children from the promise who are counted as descendants. 9 The words in the promise were: A year from now I will return, and Sarah will have a son.[b]
10 Not only that, but also Rebecca conceived children with one man, our ancestor Isaac. 11 When they hadn’t been born yet and when they hadn’t yet done anything good or bad, it was shown that God’s purpose would continue because it was based on his choice. 12 It wasn’t because of what was done but because of God’s call. This was said to her: The older child will be a slave to the younger one.[c] 13 As it is written, I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau.[d]
14 So what are we going to say? Isn’t this unfair on God’s part? Absolutely not! 15 He says to Moses, I’ll have mercy on whomever I choose to have mercy, and I’ll show compassion to whomever I choose to show compassion.[e] 16 So then, it doesn’t depend on a person’s desire or effort. It depends entirely on God, who shows mercy. 17 Scripture says to Pharaoh, I have put you in this position for this very thing: so I can show my power in you and so that my name can be spread through the entire earth.[f] 18 So then, God has mercy on whomever he wants to, but he makes resistant whomever he wants to.
19 So you are going to say to me, “Then why does he still blame people? Who has ever resisted his will?” 20 You are only a human being. Who do you think you are to talk back to God? Does the clay say to the potter, “Why did you make me like this?”[g] 21 Doesn’t the potter have the power over the clay to make one pot for special purposes and another for garbage from the same lump of clay? 22 What if God very patiently puts up with pots made for wrath that were designed for destruction, because he wanted to show his wrath and to make his power known? 23 What if he did this to make the wealth of his glory known toward pots made for mercy, which he prepared in advance for glory? 24 We are the ones God has called. We don’t come only from the Jews but we also come from the Gentiles. 25 As it says also in Hosea,
I will call “my people” those who aren’t my people,
and the one who isn’t well loved, I will call “loved one.”[h]
26 And in the place where it was said to them,
“You aren’t my people,”
there they will be called “the living God’s children.”[i]
27 But Isaiah cries out for Israel,
Though the number of Israel’s children will be like the sand of the sea,
only a remaining part will be saved,
28 because the Lord does what he says completely and quickly.[j]
29 As Isaiah prophesied,
If the Lord of the heavenly forces had not left descendants for us,
we would have been like Sodom,
and we would have become like Gomorrah.[k]
Israel and God’s righteousness
30 So what are we going to say? Gentiles who weren’t striving for righteousness achieved righteousness, the righteousness that comes from faith. 31 But though Israel was striving for a Law of righteousness, they didn’t arrive. 32 Why? It’s because they didn’t go for it by faith but they went for it as if it could be reached by doing something. They have tripped over a stumbling block. 33 As it is written:
Look! I’m putting a stumbling block in Zion,
which is a rock that offends people.
And the one who has faith in him will not be put to shame.[l]
Romans 9
International Standard Version
Paul’s Concern for the Jewish People
9 I am telling the truth because I belong to[a] the Messiah[b]—I am not lying, and my conscience confirms it by means of the Holy Spirit. 2 I have deep sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart, 3 for I could wish that I myself were condemned[c] and cut off from the Messiah[d] for the sake of my brothers, my own people,[e] 4 who are Israelis. To them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants,[f] the giving of the Law, the worship, and the promises. 5 To the Israelis[g] belong the patriarchs, and from them, the Messiah[h] descended,[i] who is God over all, the one who is forever blessed. Amen.
6 Now it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all Israelis truly belong to Israel, 7 and not all of Abraham’s descendants are his true descendants. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that descendants will be named for you.”[j] 8 That is, it is not merely the children born through natural descent who were regarded as God’s children, but it is the children born through the promise who were regarded as descendants. 9 For this is the language of the promise: “At this time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”[k] 10 Not only that, but Rebecca became pregnant by our ancestor Isaac. 11 Yet before their children[l] had been born or had done anything good or bad (so that God’s plan of election might continue to operate 12 according to his calling and not by actions), Rebecca[m] was told, “The older child will serve the younger one.”[n] 13 So it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”[o]
14 What can we say, then? God is not unrighteous, is he? Of course not! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will be merciful to the person I want to be merciful to, and I will be kind to the person I want to be kind to.”[p] 16 Therefore, God’s choice[q] does not depend on a person’s will or effort, but on God himself, who shows mercy. 17 For the Scripture says about Pharaoh,
“I have raised you up for this very purpose,
to demonstrate my power through you
and that my name might be proclaimed
in all the earth.”[r]
18 Therefore, God[s] has mercy on whomever he chooses, and he hardens the heart of whomever he chooses.
God Chose People who are Not Jewish
19 You may ask me, “Then why does God[t] still find fault with anybody?[u] For who can resist his will?” 20 On the contrary, who are you—mere man that you are—to talk back to God? Can an object that was molded say to the one who molded it, “Why did you make me like this?” 21 A potter has the right to do what he wants to with his clay, doesn’t he? He can make something for a special occasion or something for ordinary use from the same lump of clay.
22 Now if God wants to demonstrate his wrath and reveal his power, can’t he be extremely patient with the objects of his wrath that are made for destruction? 23 Can’t he also reveal his glorious riches to the objects of his mercy that he has prepared ahead of time for glory— 24 including us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but from the gentiles as well? 25 As the Scripture[v] says in Hosea,
“Those who are not my people
I will call my people,
and the one who was not loved
I will call my loved one.[w]
26 In the very place where it was told them,
‘You are not my people,’
they will be called children of the living God.”[x]
27 Isaiah also calls out concerning Israel,
“Although the descendants of Israel
are as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore,
only a few will be saved.
28 For the Lord[y] will carry out his plan decisively,
bringing it to completion on the earth.”[z]
29 It is just as Isaiah predicted:
“If the Lord of the Heavenly Armies
had not left us some descendants,
we would have become like Sodom
and would have been compared to Gomorrah.”[aa]
30 What can we say, then? Gentiles, who were not pursuing righteousness, have attained righteousness, a righteousness that comes through faith. 31 But Israel, who pursued righteousness based on the Law, did not achieve the Law. 32 Why not? Because they did not pursue it on the basis of faith, but as if it were based on achievements. They stumbled over the stone that causes people to stumble. 33 As it is written,
“Look! I am placing a stone in Zion
over which people will stumble—
a large rock that will make them fall—
and the one who believes in him will never be ashamed.”[ab]
Footnotes
- Romans 9:1 Lit. truth in
- Romans 9:1 Or Christ
- Romans 9:3 Or accursed
- Romans 9:3 Or Christ
- Romans 9:3 Lit. own relatives according to the flesh
- Romans 9:4 Other mss. read the covenant
- Romans 9:5 Lit. To them
- Romans 9:5 Or Christ
- Romans 9:5 Lit. Messiah according to the flesh
- Romans 9:7 Cf. Gen 21:12
- Romans 9:9 Cf. Gen 18:10, 14
- Romans 9:11 Lit. they
- Romans 9:12 Lit. she
- Romans 9:12 Cf. Gen 25:23
- Romans 9:13 Cf. Mal 1:2-3
- Romans 9:15 Cf. Exod 33:19
- Romans 9:16 Lit. it
- Romans 9:17 Cf. Exod 9:16
- Romans 9:18 Lit. he
- Romans 9:19 Lit. he
- Romans 9:19 The Gk. lacks with anybody
- Romans 9:25 Lit. As it
- Romans 9:25 Cf. Hos 2:23
- Romans 9:26 Cf. Hos 1:10
- Romans 9:28 MT source citation reads Lord
- Romans 9:28 Cf. Isa 10:22-23
- Romans 9:29 Cf. Isa 1:9
- Romans 9:33 Cf. Isa 28:16
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