But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham (A)because they are his offspring, but (B)“Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but (C)the children of the promise are counted as offspring. For this is what the promise said: (D)“About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.” 10 And not only so, but (E)also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, 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 (F)him who calls— 12 she was told, (G)“The older will serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, (H)“Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

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But it is not as if the word of God had failed. For not all those who are descended from Israel are truly Israel, nor are they all children because they are descendants of Abraham, but “In Isaac will your descendants be named.”[a] That is, it is not the children by human descent[b] who are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as descendants. For the statement of the promise is this: “At this time I will return and Sarah will have[c] a son.”[d] 10 And not only this, but also when[e] Rebecca conceived children by one man,[f] Isaac our father— 11 for although they[g] had not yet been born, or done anything good or evil, in order that the purpose of God according to election might remain, 12 not by works but by the one who calls—it was said to her, “The older will serve the younger,”[h] 13 just as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”[i]

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 9:7 A quotation from Gen 21:12
  2. Romans 9:8 Literally “of the flesh”
  3. Romans 9:9 Literally “there will be to Sarah”
  4. Romans 9:9 A quotation from Gen 18:10, 14
  5. Romans 9:10 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“having conception” = “conceived”) which is understood as temporal
  6. Romans 9:10 Or perhaps “by one act of sexual intercourse
  7. Romans 9:11 Here “although” is supplied as a component of the participle (“been born”) which is understood as concessive
  8. Romans 9:12 A quotation from Gen 25:23
  9. Romans 9:13 A quotation from Mal 1:2–3