Paul’s Concern for the Jews 1I saye the trueth in Christ, and lye not (wherof my conscience beareth me witnesse in the holy goost) 2that I haue greate heuynesse & contynuall sorowe in my hert. 3I haue wysshed my selfe to be cursed from Christ for my brethren, that are my kynsmen after the flesh, 4which are off Israel: vnto whom pertayneth the childshippe, and the glory, and the couenauntes and lawe, and the seruyce of God, and the promyses: 5whose are also the fathers, off whom (after the flesh) commeth Christ, which is God ouer all, blessed for euer, Ame. God’s Sovereign Choice 6But I speake not these thinges, as though the worde of God were of none effecte: for they are not all Israelites, which are of Israel: 7nether are they all children, because they are the sede of Abraham: but in Isaac shal the sede be called 8vnto the, that is, They which are children after the flesh, are not the children of God, but the children of the promes are counted for the sede. 9For this is a worde of the promes, where he sayeth: Aboute this tyme wyl I come, and Sara shal haue a sonne. 10Howbeit it is not so with this onely, but also whan Rebecca was with childe by one (namely by oure father Isaac) 11or euer the childre were borne, & had done nether good ner bad (that the purpose of God might stode acordinge to the eleccion, not by the deseruynge of workes, but by the grace of the caller) 12it was sayde thus vnto her: The greater shal serue the lesse. 13As it is wrytten: Iacob haue I loued, but Esau haue I hated. 14What shal we saye then? Is God then vnrighteous? God forbyd. 15For he sayeth vnto Moses: I shewe mercy, to whom I shewe mercy: and haue copassion, 16on who I haue compassion. So lyeth it not then in eny mans wyll or runnynge, but in the mercy of God. 17For the scripture sayeth vnto Pharao: For this cause haue I stered the vp, euen to shewe my power on the, that my name mighte be declared in all lodes. 18Thus hath he mercy on whom he wyl: and whom he wyl, he hardeneth. 19Thou wilt saye then vnto me: Why blameth he vs yet? For who can resiste his will? 20O thou man, who art thou, that disputest with God? Sayeth the worke to his workman: Why hast thou made me on this fashion? 21Hath not the potter power, out of one lompe of claye to make one vessell vnto honoure, and another vnto dishonoure? 22Therfore whan God wolde shewe wrath, and to make his power knowne, he broughte forth with greate pacience the vessels off wrath, which are ordeyned to damnacion: 23that he mighte declare the riches off his glorye on ye vessels of mercy, which he hath prepared vnto glorye, 24whom he hath called (namely vs) not onely of the Iewes, but also of the Gentyles. 25As he sayeth also by Osee: I wil call that my people, which is not my people: and my beloued, which is not ye beloued. 26And it shal come to passe in ye place, where it was sayde vnto them: Ye are not my people, there shal they be called the children of the lyuynge God. 27But Esay crieth ouer Israel: Though the nombre of the children of Israel be as the sonde of the see, yet shal there but a remnaunt be saued. 28For there is the worde, that fynisheth and shorteneth in righteousnes: for a shorte worde shal God make vpon earth. 29And as Esay sayde before: Excepte the LORDE of Sabbaoth had lefte vs sede, we shulde haue bene as Sodoma, and like vnto Gomorra. Israel’s Unbelief 30What shal we saye then? This wil we saye: The Heythen which folowed not righteousnes, haue ouertaken righteousnes: but I speake of the righteousnes that commeth of faith. 31Agayne, Israel folowed the lawe of righteousnes, and attayned not vnto the lawe of righteousnes. 32Why so? Euen because they soughte it not out of faith, but as it were out of the deseruynge of workes. For they haue stombled at the stomblinge stone. 33As it is wrytten: Beholde, I laye in Sion a stone to stoble at, and a rocke to be offended at: and who so euer beleueth on him, shal not be confounded. |
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