Romans

Paul’s Concern for the Jews

1I speak the truth in Christ; I am not lying, as confirmed by my conscience in the Holy Spirit.

2I have deep sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.

3For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my own flesh and blood,

4the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory and the covenants; theirs the giving of the law, the temple worship, and the promises.

5Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them proceeds the human descent of Christ, who is God over all, forever worthy of praise!Amen.

God’s Sovereign Choice

6It is not as though God’s word has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.

7Nor because they are Abraham’s descendants are they all his children. On the contrary, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.”

8So it is not the children of the flesh who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as offspring.

9For this is what the promise stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”

10Not only that, but Rebecca’s children were conceived by one man, our father Isaac.

11Yet before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad, in order that God’s plan of election might stand,

12not by works but by Him who calls, she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”

13So it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

14What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Certainly not!

15For He says to Moses: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”

16So then, it does not depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.

17For the 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.”

18Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.

19One of you will say to me, “Then why does God still find fault? For who can resist His will?”

20But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to Him who formed it, “Why did You make me like this?”

21Does not the potter have the right to make from the same lump of clay one vessel for special occasions and another for common use?

22What if God, intending to show His wrath and make His power known, bore with great patience the vessels of His wrath, prepared for destruction?

23What if He did this to make the riches of His glory known to the vessels of His mercy, whom He prepared in advance for glory—

24including us, whom He has called not only from the Jews, but also from the Gentiles?

25As He says in Hosea: “I will call them ‘My People’ who are not My people,and I will call her ‘My Beloved’ who is not My beloved,”

26and, “It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them,‘You are not My people,’they will be called‘sons of the living God.’”

27Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the Israelites is like the sand of the sea,only the remnant will be saved.

28For the Lord will carry out His sentence on the earththoroughly and decisively.”

29It is just as Isaiah foretold: “Unless the Lord of Hosts had left us descendants,we would have become like Sodom, we would have resembled Gomorrah.”

Israel’s Unbelief

30What then will we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;

31but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it.

32Why not? Because their pursuit was not by faith, but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone,

33as it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone of stumblingand a rock of offense;and the one who believes in Himwill never be put to shame.”

1I speak the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost:

2That I have great sadness, and continual sorrow in my heart.

3For I wished myself to be an anathema from Christ, for my brethren, who are my kinsmen according to the flesh,

4Who are Israelites, to whom belongeth the adoption as of children, and the glory, and the testament, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises:

5Whose are the fathers, and of whom is Christ, according to the flesh, who is over all things, God blessed for ever. Amen.

6Not as though the word of God hath miscarried. For all are not Israelites that are of Israel:

7Neither are all they that are the seed of Abraham, children; but in Isaac shall thy seed be called:

8That is to say, not they that are the children of the flesh, are the children of God; buy they, that are the children of the promise, are accounted for the seed.

9For this is the word of promise: According to this time will I come; and Sara shall have a son.

10And not only she. But when Rebecca also had conceived at once, of Isaac our father.

11For when the children were not yet born, nor had done any good or evil (that the purpose of God, according to election, might stand,)

12Not of works, but of him that calleth, it was said to her: The elder shall serve the younger.

13As it is written: Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.

14What shall we say then? Is there injustice with God? God forbid.

15For he saith to Moses: I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy; and I will shew mercy to whom I will shew mercy.

16So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

17For the scripture saith to Pharao: To this purpose have I raised thee, that I may shew my power in thee, and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.

18Therefore he hath mercy on whom he will; and whom he will, he hardeneth.

19Thou wilt say therefore to me: Why doth he then find fault? for who resisteth his will?

20O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it: Why hast thou made me thus?

21Or hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump, to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

22What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath, fitted for destruction,

23That he might shew the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he hath prepared unto glory?

24Even us, whom also he hath called, nor only of the Jews, but also of the Gentiles.

25As in Osee he saith: I will call that which was not my people, my people; and her that was not beloved, beloved; and her that had not obtained mercy, one that hath obtained mercy.

26And it shall be, in the place where it was said unto them, You are not my people; there they shall be called the sons of the living God.

27And Isaias crieth out concerning Israel: If the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved.

28For he shall finish his word, and cut it short in justice; because a short word shall the Lord make upon the earth.

29And as Isaias foretold: Unless the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been made as Sodom, and we had been like unto Gomorrha.

30What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who followed not after justice, have attained to justice, even the justice that is of faith.

31But Israel, by following after the law of justice, is not come unto the law of justice.

32Why so? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were of works. For they stumbled at the stumblingstone.

33As it is written: Behold I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and a rock of scandal; and whosoever believeth in him shall not be confounded.