Paul’s Concern for the Jews 1I speak truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience is testifying with me in the Holy Spirit 2that sorrow to me is great, and unceasing pain is in my heart. 3For I could wish myself to be accursed, apart from Christ for my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh, 4who are Israelites, whose is the adoption as sons and the glory and the covenants and the lawgiving and the service and the promises, 5whose are the fathers, and from whom is Christ according to the flesh, being God over all, blessed to the ages!† Amen. God’s Sovereign Choice 6But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are of Israel, are these Israel. 7Nor because they are seed of Abraham are all children. Rather, “In Isaac a seed will be called to you.”† 8That is, the children of the flesh, these are not children of God; but the children of the promise are reckoned for seed. 9For this is the word of promise: “At this time I will come, and to Sarah there will be a son.”† 10And not only so, but also Rebecca, having conception by one, Isaac our father— 11for they not yet having been born nor having done anything good or evil, so that the purpose of God according to election might stand— 12not of works but of the One calling, it was said to her, “The greater will serve the lesser.”† 13As it has been written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”† 14What then will we say? Is there injustice with God? Never may it be! 15For He says to Moses: “I will have mercy on whom I may have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I may have compassion.”† 16So then, it is not of the one willing, nor of the one running, but of God having mercy. 17For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “For this very thing I raised you up, so that I might display My power in you, and that My name should be declared in all the earth.”† 18So then, He has mercy on whom He wants, and He hardens whom He wants. 19You will say, then, to me, “Why then† does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?” 20But rather, O man, who are you answering against God? Will the thing formed say to the One having formed it, “Why did you make me thus?”† 21Or does the potter not have authority over the clay to make out of the same lump the one vessel indeed for honor, but the one for dishonor? 22And what if God, desiring to display the wrath and to make known His power, bore with much patience vessels of wrath, having been fitted for destruction, 23so that He might also make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, 24even us, whom He called not only out from Jews, but also out from Gentiles? 25As He also says in Hosea: “I will call that which is not My people ‘My People,’ and her not beloved ‘Beloved,’”† 26and, “It will be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘You⁺ are not My people,’ there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.””† 27And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons of Israel may be like the sand of the sea, only the remnant will be saved. 28For the Lord will execute His word, finishing and accomplishing swiftly upon the earth.”† 29And, as Isaiah forewarned: “Unless the Lord of Hosts† had left us a seed, we would have become like Sodom, and we would have been made like Gomorrah.”† Israel’s Unbelief 30What then will we say? That the Gentiles, not pursuing righteousness, obtained righteousness—and righteousness that is by faith; 31but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not attain to that law.† 32Why? Because it was not by faith, but as by works. They stumbled† over the stone of stumbling, 33as it has been written: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense;† and the one believing on Him will not be put to shame.”†
Berean Literal Bible This is the first draft of the Berean Literal Bible. We are currently entering a period of consistency checking, proofing, and public comment. For translation information and to submit a recommendation, please visit us at: LiteralBible.com |
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