Bible

Romans 9 (NET)

Topics in Book | Outline of Book | Facts About Book | Commentary | Parallel Verse

NET | ESV | KJV | ASV | RSV | Good News | CEV | Basic | MSG | Spanish | French

Previous Chapter | Browse | Next Chapter

¹ I am telling the truth in Christ (I am not lying!), for my conscience assures me in the Holy Spirit ² I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. ³ For I could wish that I myself were accursed cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, my fellow countrymen, ⁴ who are Israelites. To them belong the adoption as sons, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the temple worship, and the promises. ⁵ To them belong the patriarchs, and from them, by human descent, came the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever! Amen. ⁶ It is not as though the word of God had failed. For not all those who are descended from Israel are truly Israel, ⁷ nor are all the children Abraham's true descendants; rather "through Isaac will your descendants be counted." ⁸ This means it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God; rather, the children of promise are counted as descendants. ⁹ For this is what the promise declared: " I will return and Sarah will have a son." ¹⁰ Not only that, but when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our ancestor Isaac ¹¹ even before they were born or had done anything good or bad (so that God's purpose in election would stand, not by works but by his calling) ¹² it was said to her, "The older will serve the younger," ¹³ just as it is written: "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated." ¹⁴ What shall we say then? Is there injustice with God? Absolutely not! 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." ¹⁶ So then, it does not depend on human desire or exertion, but on God who shows mercy. ¹⁷ For the scripture says to Pharaoh: "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may demonstrate my power in you, and that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth." ¹⁸ So then, God has mercy on whom he chooses to have mercy, and he hardens whom he chooses to harden. ¹⁹ You will say to me then, "Why does he still find fault? For who has ever resisted his will?" ²⁰ But who indeed are you a mere human being to talk back to God? Does what is molded say to the molder, "Why have you made me like this?" ²¹ Has the potter no right to make from the same lump of clay one vessel for special use and another for ordinary use? ²² But what if God, willing to demonstrate his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience the objects of wrath prepared for destruction? ²³ And what if he is willing to make known the wealth of his glory on the objects of mercy that he has prepared beforehand for glory ²⁴ even us, whom he has called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? ²⁵ As he also says in Hosea: "'My beloved.' " ²⁶ "where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' there they will be called 'sons of the living God.' " ²⁷ And Isaiah cries out on behalf of Israel, " of Israel are as the sand of the sea, only the remnant will be saved, ²⁸ for the Lord will execute his sentence on the earth completely and quickly." ²⁹ Just as Isaiah predicted, " and we would have resembled Gomorrah." ³⁰ What shall we say then? that the Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness obtained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith, ³¹ but Israel even though pursuing a law of righteousness did not attain it. ³² Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but (as if it were possible) by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, ³³ just as it is written, " yet the one who believes in him will not be put to shame."