Romans

神拣选以色列人

1我在基督里说真话，并不谎言，有我良心被圣灵感动，给我作见证：

2我是大有忧愁，心里时常伤痛；

3为我弟兄，我骨肉之亲，就是自己被咒诅，与基督分离，我也愿意。

4他们是以色列人；那儿子的名分、荣耀、诸约、律法、礼仪、应许都是他们的。

5列祖就是他们的祖宗；按肉体说，基督也是从他们出来的。他是在万有之上，永远可称颂的 神。阿们！

6这不是说 神的话落了空。因为从以色列生的不都是以色列人，

7也不因为是亚伯拉罕的后裔就都作他的儿女；惟独「从以撒生的才要称为你的后裔。」

8这就是说，肉身所生的儿女不是 神的儿女，惟独那应许的儿女才算是后裔。

9因为所应许的话是这样说：「到明年这时候我要来，撒拉必生一个儿子。」

10不但如此，还有利百加，既从一个人，就是从我们的祖宗以撒怀了孕，（

11双子还没有生下来，善恶还没有做出来，只因要显明 神拣选人的旨意，不在乎人的行为，乃在乎召人的主。）

12神就对利百加说：「将来，大的要服事小的。」

13正如经上所记：雅各是我所爱的；以扫是我所恶的。

14这样，我们可说什么呢？难道 神有什么不公平吗？断乎没有！

15因他对摩西说：我要怜悯谁就怜悯谁， 要恩待谁就恩待谁。

16据此看来，这不在乎那定意的，也不在乎那奔跑的，只在乎发怜悯的 神。

17因为经上有话向法老说：「我将你兴起来，特要在你身上彰显我的权能，并要使我的名传遍天下。」

18如此看来， 神要怜悯谁就怜悯谁，要叫谁刚硬就叫谁刚硬。

神的忿怒和怜悯

19这样，你必对我说：「他为什么还指责人呢？有谁抗拒他的旨意呢？」

20你这个人哪，你是谁，竟敢向 神强嘴呢？受造之物岂能对造他的说：「你为什么这样造我呢？」

21窑匠难道没有权柄从一团泥里拿一块做成贵重的器皿，又拿一块做成卑贱的器皿吗？

22倘若 神要显明他的忿怒，彰显他的权能，就多多忍耐宽容那可怒、预备遭毁灭的器皿，

23又要将他丰盛的荣耀彰显在那蒙怜悯、早预备得荣耀的器皿上。

24这器皿就是我们被 神所召的，不但是从犹太人中，也是从外邦人中。这有什么不可呢？

25就像 神在何西阿书上说：那本来不是我子民的， 我要称为「我的子民」； 本来不是蒙爱的， 我要称为「蒙爱的」。

26从前在什么地方对他们说： 你们不是我的子民， 将来就在那里称他们为「永生 神的儿子」。

27以赛亚指着以色列人喊着说：「以色列人虽多如海沙，得救的不过是剩下的余数；

28因为主要在世上施行他的话，叫他的话都成全，速速地完结。」

29又如以赛亚先前说过：若不是万军之主给我们存留余种， 我们早已像所多玛、蛾摩拉的样子了。

以色列人和福音

30这样，我们可说什么呢？那本来不追求义的外邦人反得了义，就是因信而得的义。

31但以色列人追求律法的义，反得不着律法的义。

32这是什么缘故呢？是因为他们不凭着信心求，只凭着行为求；他们正跌在那绊脚石上。

33就如经上所记：我在锡安放一块绊脚的石头，跌人的磐石； 信靠他的人必不至于羞愧。

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.”