Book of Common Prayer

Paul complains upon the hard hearts of the Jews who would not receive Christ. How the heathen are chosen in their stead.

9 I speak the truth in Christ, and do not speak falsely, regarding that of which my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit. ² I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. ³ For I have wished myself to be cursed from Christ for my brethren and my kinsmen according to the flesh, ⁴ who are the Israelites. To them pertain the adoption and the glory, and the covenants, and the law that was given, and the service of God, and the promises. ⁵ Theirs also are the fathers, and those from whom (as to the flesh) Christ came, who is God over all things blessed forever. Amen.

⁶ I do not say these things as though the words of God have taken no effect. For not all who come from Israel are Israelites. ⁷ Nor are they all children just because they are the seed of Abraham, but: In Isaac shall thy seed be called. ⁸ That is to say, the children of the flesh are not the children of God, but the children of promise are counted the seed. ⁹ For this is a word of promise: About this time I will come, and Sarah shall have a son. ¹⁰ Neither was it so with her only, but also when Rebecca was pregnant with twins by one – I mean, by our father Isaac. ¹¹ Before the children were born, when they had done neither good nor bad, so that the purpose of God which is by election would stand, it was said to her, not by reason of works, but by the grace of the caller: ¹² The elder shall serve the younger. ¹³ As it is written: Jacob he loved, but Esau he hated.

¹⁴ What shall we say then? Is there any unrighteousness with God? God forbid. ¹⁵ For he says to Moses: I will show mercy to whom I show mercy, and will have compassion on whom I have compassion. ¹⁶ So then, it lies not in a man’s will or running, but in the mercy of God. ¹⁷ For the scripture says to Pharaoh: For this very purpose I have stirred you up, to show my power on you, and so that my name may be declared throughout all the world. ¹⁸ Therefore he has mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will, he makes hardhearted.

²⁷ Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like painted tombs, which appear beautiful outwardly, but within are full of dead bones and of all uncleanness. ²⁸ This is how you are, for outwardly you appear righteous to men, when within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

²⁹ Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You build the tombs of the prophets, and adorn the sepulchres of the righteous, ³⁰ and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in the blood of the prophets. ³¹ So then, you are witnesses against yourselves, that you are the children of those who killed the prophets! ³² Fill up then likewise the cup of your fathers. ³³ Serpents and offspring of vipers, how can you escape the judgment of hell?

³⁴ And so behold: I send to you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, ³⁵ so that upon you may come all the righteous blood that was shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you slew between the temple and the altar. ³⁶ Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.

³⁷ O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills prophets, and stones those who are sent to you! How often would I have gathered your children together, as the hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But you would not. ³⁸ Behold, your habitation shall be left to you desolate. ³⁹ For I say to you, you will not see me henceforth until you say, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.