Romans 9

1I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience bearing witness with me in the Holy Spirit,

1I am telling the truth in Christ—I am not lying. My conscience, guided by the Holy Spirit, confirms it.

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

2I have a heavy heart and constant sorrow.

3For I could wish that I myself were anathema from Christ for my brethren’s sake, my kinsmen according to the flesh:

3I would even wish that I were cursed and separated from Christ if it would help my own people, my relatives by birth.

4who are Israelites; whose is the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;

4They are Israelites. To them belong the privilege of being God's adopted children, the visible presence of his glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the temple worship, and the promises.

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

5The famous ancestors belong to them, and from their family line the Christ came, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.

6Butit isnot as though the word of God hath come to nought. For they are not all Israel, that are of Israel:

6It is not as though God’s word has failed. For not everyone who is descended from Israel is truly part of Israel.

7neither, because they are Abraham’s seed, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.

7Just because they are Abraham’s descendants does not make them all his true children. Instead, the scripture says, "Your true descendants will come through Isaac."

8That is, it is not the children of the flesh that are children of God; but the children of the promise are reckoned for a seed.

8This means it is not the natural-born children who are God’s children, but the children of the promise who are counted as Abraham’s true offspring.

9For this is a word of promise, According to this season will I come, and Sarah shall have a son.

9For this is what God promised: "At the set time I will return, and Sarah will have a son."

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

10Not only that, but the same thing happened with Rebekah’s children, who had the same father, our ancestor Isaac.

11for the children being not yet born, neither having done anything good or bad, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth,

11Before the twins were born, and before they had done anything good or bad, God made a choice. He did this so his purpose in choosing would stand—not based on what people do, but on God who calls them.

12it was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.

12She was told, "The older son will serve the younger one."

13Even as it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.

13As the scripture says, "I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau."

14What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.

14What should we say then? Is God unfair? Of course not!

15For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.

15For God said to Moses, "I will show mercy to anyone I choose to show mercy, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose to show compassion."

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

16So then, it does not depend on human desire or effort, but on God who shows mercy.

17For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, For this very purpose did I raise thee up, that I might show in thee my power, and that my name might be published abroad in all the earth.

17For the scripture says to Pharaoh, "I raised you up for this very reason: to display my power through you and to make my name known throughout the whole earth."

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

18Therefore, God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens the hearts of those he wants to harden.

19Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he still find fault? For who withstandeth his will?

19One of you will ask me, "Then why does God still find fault? Who can resist what he has decided?"

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

20But who are you, a mere human, to talk back to God? Does the clay pot say to the one who shaped it, "Why did you make me like this?"

21Or hath not the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor?

21Doesn't the potter have the right to make from the same lump of clay one jar for special use and another for ordinary use?

22What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering vessels of wrath fitted unto destruction:

22What if God, wanting to show his anger and reveal his power, was very patient with the people who were objects of his anger and headed for destruction?

23and that he might make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he afore prepared unto glory,

23And what if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared beforehand for glory?

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

24That includes us, whom he called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles.

25As he saith also in Hosea, I will call that my people, which was not my people; And her beloved, that was not beloved.

25As God says in the book of Hosea: "I will call those 'my people' who were not my people, and I will call her 'my loved one' who was not my loved one."

26And it shall be, thatin the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, There shall they be called sons of the living God.

26And, "In the very place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' they will be called children of the living God."

27And Isaiah crieth concerning Israel, If the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that shall be saved:

27Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: "Even if the Israelites are as numerous as the sand by the sea, only a small group will be saved."

28for the Lord will execute his word upon the earth, finishing it and cutting it short.

28For the Lord will carry out his sentence on the earth quickly and completely.

29And, as Isaiah hath said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, We had become as Sodom, and had been made like unto Gomorrah.

29It is just as Isaiah predicted: "If the Lord of Heaven’s Armies had not left us some descendants, we would have become like Sodom and Gomorrah."

30What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who followed not after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith:

30What should we conclude? That the Gentiles, who were not even looking for God's approval, received it—and they received it by faith.

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

31But the people of Israel, who were trying so hard to follow a law that would make them right with God, did not succeed in keeping it.

32Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by works. They stumbled at the stone of stumbling;

32Why not? Because they tried to do it by their own works instead of by faith. They stumbled over the "stumbling stone."

33even as it is written, Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence: And he that believeth on him shall not be put to shame.

33As the scripture says, "Look, I am placing a stone in Jerusalem that makes people stumble, a rock that makes them fall. But whoever believes in him will never be put to shame."