I tell the truth in Christ, I do not lie, my conscience bearing witness with me in the Holy Spirit,
2that my grief is great, and a never ceasing pain is in my heart,
3for I myself was wishing to be a curse from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to flesh,
4who are Israelites, whose are the adoption and the glory, and the covenants, and the Lawgiving, and the service, and the promises;
5whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to flesh, He being God over all, blessed forever. Amen.
6Not, however, that God's Word has failed. For not all those of Israel are Israel,
7nor because they are Abraham's seed are all children, but "In Isaac a Seed shall be called to you." (See Gen. 21:12)
8That is: Not the children of flesh are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted for a seed.
9For the Word of promise is this, "According to this time I will come, and a son will be to Sarah." (See Gen. 18:10)
10And not only so, but also Rebekah conceiving of one, our father Isaac,
11for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of the One calling,
12it was said to her, "The greater shall serve the lesser;" (See Gen. 25:23)
13even as it has been written, "I loved Jacob, and I hated Esau." (See Mal. 1:2, 3)
14What then shall we say? Is there not unrighteousness with God? Let it not be!
15For He said to Moses, "I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will pity whomever I will pity." (See Ex. 33:19)
16So, then, it is not of the one willing, nor of the one running, but of the One showing mercy, of God.
17For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very thing I raised you up, so that I might display My power in you, and so that My name might be publicized in all the earth." (See Ex. 9:16)
18So, then, to whom He desires, He shows mercy. And to whom He desires, He hardens.
19You will then say to me, Why does He yet find fault? For who has resisted His will?
20Yes, rather, O man, who are you answering against God? Shall the thing formed say to the One forming it, Why did You make me like this? (See Isa. 29:16)
21Or does not the potter have authority over the clay, out of the one lump to make one vessel to honor, and one to dishonor? (See Jer. 18:6)
22But if God, desiring to demonstrate His wrath, and to make His power known, endured in much long-suffering vessels of wrath having been fitted out for destruction,
23and that He make known the riches of His glory on vessels of mercy which He before prepared for glory,
24whom He also called, not only us, of Jews, but also out of nations.
25As also He says in Hosea, I will call those Not My people, My people! And those not beloved, Beloved! (See Hosea 2:23)
26"And it shall 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." (See LXX-Hos. 2:1; MT-Hos. 2:23)
27But Isaiah cries on behalf of Israel, "If the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, the remnant will be saved."
28For He is bringing the matter to an end, and having been cut short "in righteousness," "because the Lord" "will do a thing cut short" "on the earth." (See Isa. 10:22, 23)
29And as Isaiah has said before, "Except the Lord of hosts left a seed to us, we would have become as Sodom, and we would have become as Gomorrah." (See Isa. 1:9)
30What then shall we say? That the nations not following after righteousness have taken on righteousness, but a righteousness of faith;
31but Israel following after a Law of righteousness did not arrive at a Law of righteousness?
32Why? Because it was not of faith, but as of works of Law. For they stumbled at the Stone-of-stumbling,
33as it has been written, "Behold, I place in" "Zion a Stone-of-stumbling," "and a Rock-of-offense," "and everyone believing on Him will not be shamed." (See LXX and MT-Isa. 28:16; MT-Isa. 8:14)