Romans 9 Parallel Bible Translations

Romans 9 ▼
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1 I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me [enlightened and prompted] by the Holy Spirit, I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit—
2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.
3 For [if it were possible] I would wish that I myself were accursed, [separated, banished] from Christ for the sake [of the salvation] of my brothers, my natural kinsmen, For 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. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race,
4 who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, the glory (Shekinah), the [special] covenants [with Abraham, Moses, and David], the giving of the Law, the [system of temple] worship, and the [original] promises. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises.
5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from them, according to His natural descent, came the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), He who is exalted and supreme over all, God blessed forever. Amen. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.
6 However, it is not as though God’s word has failed [coming to nothing]. For not all who are descended from Israel (Jacob) are [the true] Israel; But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.
7 and they are not all the children of Abraham because they are his descendants [by blood], but [the promise was]: “YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE NAMED THROUGH ISAAC” [though Abraham had other sons]. and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”
8 That is, it is not the children of the body [Abraham’s natural descendants] who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are counted as [Abraham’s true] descendants. This 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. In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.
9 For this is what the promise said: “ABOUT THIS TIME [next year] I WILL COME, AND SARAH SHALL HAVE A SON.” For this is what the promise said: “About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.” For this was how the promise was stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”
10 And not only that, but this too: Rebekah conceived twin sons by one man [under the same circumstances], by our father Isaac; And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, Not only that, but Rebekah’s children were conceived at the same time by our father Isaac.
11 and though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything either good or bad, so that God’s purpose [His choice, His election] would stand, not because of works [done by either child], but because of [the plan of] Him who calls them, though 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— Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God’s purpose in election might stand:
12 it was said to her, “THE OLDER (Esau) WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER (Jacob).” she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” not by works but by him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”
13 As it is written and forever remains written, “JACOB I LOVED (chose, protected, blessed), BUT ESAU I HATED (held in disregard compared to Jacob).” As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice with God? Certainly not! What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all!
15 For He says to Moses, “I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOMEVER I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOMEVER I HAVE COMPASSION.” For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 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 God’s choice is not dependent on human will, nor on human effort [the totality of human striving], but on God who shows mercy [to whomever He chooses—it is His sovereign gift]. So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.
17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “I RAISED YOU UP FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE, TO DISPLAY MY POWER IN [dealing with] YOU, AND SO THAT MY NAME WOULD BE PROCLAIMED IN ALL THE EARTH.” For 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.” For 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.”
18 So then, He has mercy on whom He wills (chooses), and He hardens [the heart of] whom He wills. So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.
19 You will say to me then, “Why does He still blame me [for sinning]? For who [including myself] has [ever] resisted His will and purpose?” You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist his will?”
20 On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers [arrogantly] back to God and dares to defy Him? Will the thing which is formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” But 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?” But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’”
21 Does the potter not have the right over the clay, to make from the same lump [of clay] one object for honorable use [something beautiful or distinctive] and another for common use [something ordinary or menial]? Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?
22 What if God, although willing to show His [terrible] wrath and to make His power known, has tolerated with great patience the objects of His wrath [which are] prepared for destruction? What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction?
23 And what if He has done so to make known the riches of His glory to the objects of His mercy, which He has prepared beforehand for glory, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory—
24 including us, whom He also called, not only from among the Jews, but also from among the Gentiles? even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?
25 Just as He says in [the writings of the prophet] Hosea: “I WILL CALL THOSE WHO WERE NOT MY PEOPLE, ‘MY PEOPLE,’ AND [I will call] HER WHO WAS NOT BELOVED, ‘BELOVED.’” As 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.’” As he says in Hosea: “I will call them ‘my people’ who are not my people; and I will call her ‘my loved one’ who is not my loved one,”
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.” “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.’” and, “In the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘children of the living God.’”
27 And Isaiah calls out concerning Israel: “THOUGH THE NUMBER OF THE SONS OF ISRAEL BE LIKE THE SAND OF THE SEA, IT IS ONLY THE REMNANT [a small believing minority] THAT WILL BE SAVED [from God’s judgment]; And 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, Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved.
28 FOR THE LORD WILL EXECUTE HIS WORD UPON THE EARTH [He will conclude His dealings with mankind] COMPLETELY AND WITHOUT DELAY.” for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay.” For the Lord will carry out his sentence on earth with speed and finality.”
29 It is as Isaiah foretold, “IF THE LORD OF HOSTS HAD NOT LEFT US SEED [future generations from which a believing remnant of Israelites came], WE WOULD HAVE BECOME LIKE SODOM, AND WOULD HAVE RESEMBLED GOMORRAH [totally rejected and destroyed]!” And as Isaiah predicted, “If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring, we would have been like Sodom and become like Gomorrah.” It is just as Isaiah said previously: “Unless the Lord Almighty had left us descendants, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah.”
30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness [who did not seek salvation and a right relationship with God, nevertheless] obtained righteousness, that is, the righteousness which is produced by faith; What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;
31 whereas Israel, [though always] pursuing the law of righteousness, did not succeed in fulfilling the law. but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal.
32 And why not? Because it was not by faith [that they pursued it], but as though it were by works [relying on the merit of their works instead of their faith]. They stumbled over the stumbling Stone [Jesus Christ]. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone.
33 As it is written and forever remains written, “BEHOLD I AM LAYING IN ZION A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE; AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM [whoever adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Him] WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED [in his expectations].” as 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.” As it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame.”
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