But it is not as though (A)the word of God has failed. (B)For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; nor are they all children (C)because they are Abraham’s [a](D)descendants, but: “[b](E)through Isaac your [c]descendants shall be named.” That is, it is not the children of the flesh [d]who are (F)children of God, but the (G)children of the promise are regarded as [e](H)descendants. For this is the word of promise: “(I)At this time I will come, and Sarah will have a son.” 10 (J)And not only that, but there was also (K)Rebekah, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac; 11 for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that (L)God’s purpose according to His choice would [f]stand, not [g]because of works but [h]because of Him who calls, 12 it was said to her, “(M)The older will serve the younger.” 13 Just as it is written: “(N)Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.”

14 (O)What shall we say then? (P)There is no injustice with God, is there? [i](Q)Far from it! 15 For He says to Moses, “(R)I will have mercy on whomever I have mercy, and I will show compassion to whomever I show compassion.” 16 So then, it does not depend on the person who [j]wants it nor the one who [k](S)runs, but on (T)God who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “(U)For this very reason I raised you up, in order to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed [l]throughout the earth.” 18 So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He (V)hardens whom He desires.

19 (W)You will say to me then, “(X)Why does He still find fault? For (Y)who has resisted His will?” 20 On the contrary, who are you, [m](Z)you foolish person, who (AA)answers back to God? (AB)The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it? 21 Or does the potter not have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one object [n]for honorable use, and another [o]for common use? 22 [p]What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with great (AC)patience objects of wrath (AD)prepared for destruction? 23 And He did so to make known (AE)the riches of His glory upon (AF)objects of mercy, which He (AG)prepared beforehand for glory, 24 namely us, whom He also (AH)called, (AI)not only from among Jews, but also from among Gentiles,

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 9:7 Lit seed
  2. Romans 9:7 Lit in
  3. Romans 9:7 Lit seed
  4. Romans 9:8 Lit these
  5. Romans 9:8 Lit seed
  6. Romans 9:11 Lit remain
  7. Romans 9:11 Lit from
  8. Romans 9:11 Lit from
  9. Romans 9:14 Lit May it never happen!
  10. Romans 9:16 Or wills nor
  11. Romans 9:16 I.e., to win mercy or favor
  12. Romans 9:17 Lit in all
  13. Romans 9:20 Lit O
  14. Romans 9:21 Lit for honor
  15. Romans 9:21 Lit for dishonor
  16. Romans 9:22 Lit But

God’s Sovereign Choice

It is not as though God’s word(A) had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.(B) Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”[a](C) In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children,(D) but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.(E) For this was how the promise was stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”[b](F)

10 Not only that, but Rebekah’s children were conceived at the same time by our father Isaac.(G) 11 Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad(H)—in order that God’s purpose(I) in election might stand: 12 not by works but by him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”[c](J) 13 Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”[d](K)

14 What then shall we say?(L) Is God unjust? Not at all!(M) 15 For he says to Moses,

“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,
    and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”[e](N)

16 It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.(O) 17 For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”[f](P) 18 Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.(Q)

19 One of you will say to me:(R) “Then why does God still blame us?(S) For who is able to resist his will?”(T) 20 But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God?(U) “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it,(V) ‘Why did you make me like this?’”[g](W) 21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?(X)

22 What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience(Y) the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction?(Z) 23 What if he did this to make the riches of his glory(AA) known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory(AB) 24 even us, whom he also called,(AC) not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?(AD)

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 9:7 Gen. 21:12
  2. Romans 9:9 Gen. 18:10,14
  3. Romans 9:12 Gen. 25:23
  4. Romans 9:13 Mal. 1:2,3
  5. Romans 9:15 Exodus 33:19
  6. Romans 9:17 Exodus 9:16
  7. Romans 9:20 Isaiah 29:16; 45:9