Romans 9:1-21 ▼

1 I say the truth in Christ, I lye not, (my conscience bearing me witness in the holy Ghost,)

2 that I have great grief and continual sorrow in my heart:

3 for I could wish that I myself were made a curse after the manner of Christ, for my brethren, my kindred according to the flesh;

4 who are Israelites, whose is the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the form of divine worship, and the promises:

5 whose are the fathers, and of whom, as to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all God blessed for ever. Amen.

6 Not that the word of God hath failed. For they are not all Israel, who are descended from Israel.

7 Nor because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children of promise: but "in Isaac shall thy seed be called."

8 That is, not the children of the flesh are the children of God, but the children of the promise are accounted for the seed.

9 For this is the word of the promise, "According to this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son:"

10 and not to her only; but Rebecca also being with child by our father Isaac,

11 (when the children were not yet born, nor had done either good or evil, that the purpose of God according to his choice might abide, not on account of works, but of Him that calleth,) it was said to her, the elder shall serve the younger:

12 as it is written,

13 "I loved Jacob and I hated Esau."

14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice in God?

15 God forbid! For He saith to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion."

16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

17 And the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, for this very purpose have I raised thee up, that I may shew forth my power in thee, and that my name may be declared through all the earth.

18 So then He hath mercy on whom He pleaseth, and whom He will, He hardeneth.

19 Thou wilt say then, Why doth he yet blame us? who hath resisted his will?

20 Nay but, O man, who art thou, that disputest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why didst thou make me thus?

21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, out of the same mass to make one vessel to honor and another to dishonor?