Romans 9 Parallel Bible Translations

Romans 9 ▼
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1 As a Christian, I'm telling you the truth. I'm not lying. The Holy Spirit, along with my own thoughts, supports me in this. 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 I have deep sorrow and endless heartache. that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.
3 I wish I could be condemned and cut off from Christ for the sake of others who, like me, are Jewish by birth. 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 They are Israelites, God's adopted children. They have the Lord's glory, the pledges, Moses' Teachings, the true worship, and the 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 The Messiah is descended from their ancestors according to his human nature. The Messiah is God over everything, forever blessed. 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 Now it is not as though God's word has failed. Clearly, not everyone descended from Israel is part of 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 or a descendant of Abraham. However, [as Scripture says,] |Through Isaac your descendants will carry on your name.| 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 This means that children born by natural descent [from Abraham] are not necessarily God's children. Instead, children born by the promise are considered Abraham's 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 example, this is what the promise said, |I will come back at the right time, and Sarah will 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 The same thing happened to Rebekah. Rebekah became pregnant by our ancestor 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 Before the children had been born or had done anything good or bad, Rebekah was told that the older child would serve the younger one. This was said to Rebekah so that God's plan would remain a matter of his choice, 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 a choice based on God's call and not on anything people do. 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 The Scriptures say, |I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau.| 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 can we say-that God is unfair? That's unthinkable! 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 example, God said to Moses, |I will be kind to anyone I want to. I will be merciful to anyone I want to.| 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 Therefore, God's choice does not depend on a person's desire or effort, but on God's mercy. 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 example, Scripture says to Pharaoh, |I put you here for this reason: to demonstrate my power through you and to spread my name throughout 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 Therefore, if God wants to be kind to anyone, he will be. If he wants to make someone stubborn, he will. 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 may ask me, |Why does God still find fault with anyone? Who can resist whatever God wants to do?| 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 Who do you think you are to talk back to God like that? Can an object that was made say to its maker, |Why did you make 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 A potter has the right to do whatever he wants with his clay. He can make something for a special occasion or something for everyday use from the same lump of clay. 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 If God wants to demonstrate his anger and reveal his power, he can do it. But can't he be extremely patient with people who are objects of his anger because they are headed 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 Can't God also reveal the riches of his glory to people who are objects of his mercy and who he had already prepared 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 This is what God did for us whom he called-whether we are Jews or not. 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 As God says in Hosea: |Those who are not my people I will call my people. Those who are not loved I will call my loved ones. 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 Wherever they were told, 'You are not my people,' they will be called children 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 Isaiah also says about Israel: |Although the descendants of Israel are as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore, only a few will be saved. 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 The Lord will carry out his sentence on the land, completely and decisively.| 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 This is what Isaiah predicted: |If the Lord of Armies hadn't left us some descendants, we would have been like Sodom and Gomorrah.| 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 So what can we say? We can say that non-Jewish people who were not trying to gain God's approval won his approval, an approval based on 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 The people of Israel tried to gain God's approval by obeying Moses' Teachings, but they did not reach their goal. 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 Why? They didn't rely on faith to gain God's approval, but they relied on their own efforts. They stumbled over the rock that trips people. 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 Scripture says, |I am placing a rock in Zion that people trip over, a large rock that people find offensive. Whoever believes in him will not be ashamed.| 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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