English Standard Version

New American Standard Bible 1995

1I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit—

1I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit,

2that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.

2that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart.

3For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.

3For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh,

4They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises.

4who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises,

5To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.

5whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.

6But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel,

6But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel;

7and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.”

7nor are they all children because they are Abraham's descendants, but: "THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE NAMED."

8This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.

8That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants.

9For this is what the promise said: “About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.”

9For this is the word of promise: "AT THIS TIME I WILL COME, AND SARAH SHALL HAVE A SON."

10And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac,

10And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac;

11though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls—

11for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God's purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls,

12she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”

12it was said to her, "THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER."

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

13Just as it is written, "JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED."

14What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means!

14What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be!

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

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 depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.

16So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.

17For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”

17For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE I RAISED YOU UP, TO DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU, AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EARTH."

18So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

18So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.

19You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?”

19You will say to me then, "Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?"

20But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?”

20On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, "Why did you make me like this," will it?

21Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?

21Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use?

22What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,

22What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?

23in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory—

23And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory,

24even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?

24even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.

25As indeed he says in Hosea, “Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’”

25As He says also in Hosea, "I WILL CALL THOSE WHO WERE NOT MY PEOPLE, 'MY PEOPLE,' AND HER WHO WAS NOT BELOVED, 'BELOVED.'"

26“And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’”

26"AND IT SHALL BE THAT IN THE PLACE WHERE IT WAS SAID TO THEM, 'YOU ARE NOT MY PEOPLE,' THERE THEY SHALL BE CALLED SONS OF THE LIVING GOD."

27And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved,

27Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, "THOUGH THE NUMBER OF THE SONS OF ISRAEL BE LIKE THE SAND OF THE SEA, IT IS THE REMNANT THAT WILL BE SAVED;

28for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay.”

28FOR THE LORD WILL EXECUTE HIS WORD ON THE EARTH, THOROUGHLY AND QUICKLY."

29And as Isaiah predicted, “If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring, we would have been like Sodom and become like Gomorrah.”

29And just as Isaiah foretold, "UNLESS THE LORD OF SABAOTH HAD LEFT TO US A POSTERITY, WE WOULD HAVE BECOME LIKE SODOM, AND WOULD HAVE RESEMBLED GOMORRAH."

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

30What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith;

31but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law.

31but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law.

32Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone,

32Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone,

33as it is written, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

33just as it is written, "BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED."

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