Romans 9

1 I speak the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience bearing witness with me in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great grief and unceasing pain in my heart. 3 For I could pray that I myself were a thing devoted, away from Christ, for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh, [a] 4 who are Israelites, whose is the adoption as sons and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the law and the service and the promises, [b] 5 whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen. [c] †

6 But it is not as though the word of God has fallen. For not all those from Israel are Israel, 7 nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s seed; but, “In Isaac your seed will be named.” [d] 8 That is: it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as seed. 9 For this is a word of promise: “At this season I will come, and Sarah will have a son.” [e]

10 And not only that, but Rebecca also, having conceived by one man, Isaac our father — [f] 11 for when they had not yet been born and had done nothing good or worthless, so that God’s purpose according to choice might remain, 12 not from works but from the one who calls, it was said to her, “The older will serve the younger,” [g] 13 as it has been written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” [h]

14 What then shall we say? Is there injustice with God? May it never be! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” [i] 16 So then it is not of the one who wills, nor of the one who runs, but of God who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very thing I raised you up, so that I might show my power in you, and so that my name might be told through all the earth.” [j] 18 So then he has mercy on whom he wills, and whom he wills he hardens.

19 You will say to me then, “Why then does he still find fault? For who has stood against his will?” 20 Man — on the contrary, who are you, the one answering back to God? Will what was formed say to the one who formed it, “Why did you make me like this?” [k] 21 Or does the potter not have authority over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? †

22 And what if God, wanting to show his wrath and to make known what he is able to do, bore with much patience vessels of wrath fitted for destruction, 23 and in order to make known the riches of his glory on vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory — 24 us, whom he also called, not only from among the Jews but also from among the nations? [l]

25 As he also says in Hosea: [m]

27 And Isaiah cries out over Israel: [o]

29 And as Isaiah has said before: [q]

30 What then shall we say? That nations which were not pursuing righteousness have laid hold of righteousness — a righteousness that is from faith; 31 but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at law. [r] 32 Why? Because it was not from faith but as from works. They struck against the stone of stumbling, 33 as it has been written: [s]