Romans, Chapter 9

1. Truth, say I, in Christ, I utter no falsehood, -- my conscience bearing witness with me in the Holy Spirit, --    2. That I have great grief and incessant travail in my heart;    3. For I could have wished to be accursed, even I myself, from the Christ, in behalf of my brethren my kinsmen according to the flesh; --    4. Who, indeed, are Israelites, whose are the sonship, and the glory, and the covenants, and the legislation, and the divine service, and the promises,    5. Whose are the fathers, and of whom is the Christ -- according to the flesh -- he who is over all, God, blessed unto the ages. Amen.    6. It is not, however, as though the word of God had failed; for, not all they who are of Israel, the same are Israel.    7. Neither, because they are seed of Abraham, are all children, -- but, In Isaac, shall there be called unto thee a seed.    8. That is -- not the children of the flesh, the same are children of God; but, the children of the promise, are reckoned as a seed.    9. For, of promise, is this word -- According to this season, will I come, and Sarah shall have a son.    10. And, not only so, but, when, Rebekah also, was with child, of one -- Isaac our father, --    11. They, in fact, not being yet born, nor having practised anything good or bad, -- in order that the purpose of God by way of election might stand, -- not by works but by him that was calling,    12. It was said unto her -- The elder, shall serve the younger;    13. Even as it is written -- Jacob, have I loved, but, Esau, have I hated.    14. What, then, shall we say? Is there injustice with God? Far be it!    15. For, unto Moses, he saith -- I will have mercy upon whomsoever I can have mercy, and I will have compassion upon whomsoever I can have compassion.    16. Hence, then, it is nor of him that wisheth nor of him that runneth, but of the mercy-shewing God.    17. For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh -- Unto this end, have I raised thee up, that I may thus shew in thee my power, and that I may declare my name in all the earth.    18. Hence, then, -- on whom he pleaseth, he hath mercy, and, whom he pleaseth, he doth harden.    19. Thou wilt say to me, then -- Why longer findeth he fault? For, his purpose, who hath withstood?    20. O man! Who, nevertheless, art, thou, that art answering again unto God? Shall the thing formed say unto him that formed it -- Why didst thou make me thus?    21. Or hath not the potter a right over the clay -- out of the same lump, to make some, indeed, into a vessel for honour, and some for dishonour?    22. And, if God -- wishing to shew his anger and to make known his power -- bare, in much patience, with vessels of anger already fitted for destruction,    23. In order that he might make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy which he prepared beforehand for glory, --    24. Whom he also called, even us, not only from among Jews, but also from among the nations, [what then?]    25. As also in Hosea he saith -- I will call the not-my-people, My people, and the not-beloved, beloved,    26. And it shall be -- in the place where it was said [to them] -- not my people are, ye! there, shall they be called -- Sons of a Living God.    27. Isaiah, moreover, exclaimeth over Israel -- Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, the remnant, shall be saved;    28. For, a complete and concise account, will the Lord make upon the earth.    29. And, even as Isaiah hath before said, -- If, the Lord of hosts, had not left us a seed, as Sodom, had we become, and, as Gomorrha, had we been made like.    30. What, then, shall we say? That, they of the nations, who were not in pursuit of righteousness, have laid hold of righteousness, -- a righteousness, however, which is by faith;    31. Whereas, Israel, though in pursuit of a law of righteousness, unto a law, have not attained.    32. Wherefore? Because, not by faith but as by works, [have they sought it] : they have stumbled at the stone of stumbling,    33. Even as it is written -- Lo! I lay in Zion, a stone to strike against and a rock to stumble over, and, he that resteth faith thereupon, shall not be put to shame.