Romans 9:1-21 ▼

1 Truth I say in Christ, I do not lie, my conscience bearing testimony with me in the Holy Spirit,

2 that I have great grief and unceasing pain in my heart—

3 for I was wishing, I myself, to be accursed from the Christ—for my brothers, my relatives, according to the flesh,

4 who are Israelites, whose [is] the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the lawgiving, and the service, and the promises,

5 whose [are] the fathers, and of whom [is] the Christ, according to the flesh, who is God over all, blessed for all ages. Amen.

6 And it is not possible that the word of God has failed; for not all who [are] of Israel are these of Israel;

7 nor because they are seed of Abraham [are] all children, but, “in Isaac will a seed be called to you”;

8 that is, the children of the flesh—these [are] not children of God; but the children of the promise are reckoned for seed;

9 for the word of promise [is] this: “According to this time I will come, and there will be to Sarah a son.”

10 And not only [so], but also Rebecca, having conceived by one—our father Isaac

11 (for they being not yet born, neither having done anything good or evil, that the purpose of God, according to [divine] selection, might remain; not of works, but of Him who is calling),

12 it was said to her, “The greater will serve the less”;

13 according as it has been written: “Jacob I loved, and Esau I hated.”

14 What, then, will we say? Unrighteousness [is] with God? Let it not be!

15 For to Moses He says, “I will do kindness to whom I do kindness, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion”;

16 so then—not of him who is willing, nor of him who is running, but of God who is doing kindness;

17 for the Writing says to Pharaoh, “For this very thing I raised you up, that I might show in you My power, and that My Name might be declared in all the land”;

18 so then, to whom He wills, He does kindness, and to whom He wills, He hardens.

19 You will say, then, to me, “Why does He yet find fault? For who has resisted His counsel?”

20 No, but, O man, who are you that are answering again to God? Will the thing formed say to Him who formed [it], Why did you make me thus?

21 Does the potter not have authority over the clay, out of the same lump to make one vessel to honor and one to dishonor?