Romans 9

1I speak the truth in Christ—I do not lie, my conscience bearing witness with me in the Holy Spirit.

2that I have great grief and ceaseless sorrow in my heart.

3For I myself would wish to be a curse, separated from Christ, for my brothers, my kin according to the flesh.

4who are Israelites, to whom belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service, and the promises.

5Whose are the fathers, and from whom is Christ according to the flesh, who is God over all, eternally blessed. Amen.

6But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all these from Israel are Israel.

7Nor are they all children because they are Abraham's offspring, but, "In Isaac your offspring will be called."

8That is, the children of the flesh are not God's children, but the children of the promise are counted as seed.

9For this is the message of promise: "At this time I will come, and Sarah will have a son."

10Not only that, but Rebekah also conceived by one man, Isaac our father.

11For they had not yet been born, nor had they done anything good or evil, so that God's purpose according to election might remain.

12not from works but from him who calls, it was said to her, "The elder will serve the younger."

13As it has been written, I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau.

14What then shall we say? Is there injustice with God? Certainly not!

15For he says to Moses, "I will show mercy to whomever I show mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I have compassion."

16So then it does not depend on the one who wills, nor on the one who runs, but on God who shows mercy.

17For Scripture says to Pharaoh, "I raised you up for this purpose, so that I might show my power in you, and so that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."

18So then, he shows mercy to whoever he desires, and he hardens whoever he desires.

19You will say to me, then, "Why then does he still find fault? For who has withstood his purpose?"

20But indeed, O man, who are you to answer back to God? Will the thing formed say to the one who formed it, “Why did you make me this way?”

21Or doesn't the potter have authority over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?

22What if God, wanting to show his wrath and make his power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?

23And that he might reveal his glorious riches on vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory.

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

25As he also says in Hosea, "I will call those who were not my people 'my people,' and those who were not beloved 'beloved.'"

26And it will be in the place where it was said to them, "You are not my people"; there they will be called sons of the living God.

27Isaiah cries out on behalf of Israel: "If the number of the sons of Israel is like the sand of the sea, the remnant will be saved."

28For the Lord will complete the word and cut it short upon the earth.

29And just as Isaiah has foretold: "Unless the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we would have become like Sodom and been made like Gomorrah."

30What then shall we say? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness attained righteousness, the righteousness from faith.

31But Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, did not attain the law.

32Why? Because they did not attain it by faith, but as though by works. They stumbled against the stone of stumbling.

33As it is written: "See, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and a rock that offends, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame."