1 I am speaking the truth in Christ. I am not lying; my conscience by the Holy Spirit bearing witness with me

Truth I say in Christ, I lie not, my conscience bearing testimony with me in the Holy Spirit,

2 T hat I have bitter grief and incessant anguish in my heart.

that I have great grief and unceasing pain in my heart --

3 F or I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off and banished from Christ for the sake of my brethren and instead of them, my natural kinsmen and my fellow countrymen.

for I was wishing, I myself, to be anathema from the Christ -- for my brethren, my kindred, according to the flesh,

4 F or they are Israelites, and to them belong God’s adoption and the glorious Presence (Shekinah). With them were the special covenants made, to them was the Law given. To them worship was revealed and promises announced.

who are Israelites, whose the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the lawgiving, and the service, and the promises,

5 T o them belong the patriarchs, and as far as His natural descent was concerned, from them is the Christ, Who is exalted and supreme over all, God, blessed forever! Amen (so let it be).

whose the fathers, and of whom the Christ, according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed to the ages. Amen.

6 H owever, it is not as though God’s Word had failed. For it is not everybody who is a descendant of Jacob (Israel) who belongs to Israel.

And it is not possible that the word of God hath failed; for not all who of Israel are these Israel;

7 A nd they are not all the children of Abraham because they are by blood his descendants. No, Your descendants will be called and counted through the line of Isaac.

nor because they are seed of Abraham all children, but -- `in Isaac shall a seed be called to thee;'

8 T hat is to say, it is not the children of the body who are made God’s children, but it is the offspring to whom the promise applies that shall be counted descendants.

that is, the children of the flesh -- these not children of God; but the children of the promise are reckoned for seed;

9 F or this is what the promise said, About this time will I return and Sarah shall have a son.

for the word of promise this; `According to this time I will come, and there shall be to Sarah a son.'

10 A nd not only that, but this too: Rebecca conceived by our forefather Isaac,

And not only, but also Rebecca, having conceived by one -- Isaac our father --

11 A nd the children were yet unborn and had so far done nothing either good or evil. Even so, in order further to carry out God’s purpose of selection (election, choice), which depends not on works or what men can do, but on Him Who calls,

(for they being not yet born, neither having done anything good or evil, that the purpose of God, according to choice, might remain; not of works, but of Him who is calling,) it was said to her --

12 I t was said to her that the elder should serve the younger.

`The greater shall serve the less;'

13 A s it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated (held in relative disregard in comparison with My feeling for Jacob).

according as it hath been written, `Jacob I did love, and Esau I did hate.'

14 W hat shall we conclude then? Is there injustice upon God’s part? Certainly not!

What, then, shall we say? unrighteousness with God? let it not be!

15 F or He says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion (pity) on whom I will have compassion.

for to Moses He saith, `I will do kindness to whom I do kindness, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion;'

16 S o then is not a question of human will and human effort, but of God’s mercy.

so, then -- not of him who is willing, nor of him who is running, but of God who is doing kindness:

17 F or the Scripture says to Pharaoh, I have raised you up for this very purpose of displaying My power in you, so that My name may be proclaimed the whole world over.

for the Writing saith to Pharaoh -- `For this very thing I did raise thee up, that I might shew in thee My power, and that My name might be declared in all the land;'

18 S o then He has mercy on whomever He wills (chooses) and He hardens (makes stubborn and unyielding the heart of) whomever He wills.

so, then, to whom He willeth, He doth kindness, and to whom He willeth, He doth harden.

19 Y ou will say to me, Why then does He still find fault and blame us ? For who can resist and withstand His will?

Thou wilt say, then, to me, `Why yet doth He find fault? for His counsel who hath resisted?'

20 B ut who are you, a mere man, to criticize and contradict and answer back to God? Will what is formed say to him that formed it, Why have you made me thus?

nay, but, O man, who art thou that art answering again to God? shall the thing formed say to Him who did form, Why me didst thou make thus?

21 H as the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same mass (lump) one vessel for beauty and distinction and honorable use, and another for menial or ignoble and dishonorable use?

hath not the potter authority over the clay, out of the same lump to make the one vessel to honour, and the one to dishonour?

22 W hat if God, although fully intending to show His wrath and to make known His power and authority, has tolerated with much patience the vessels (objects) of anger which are ripe for destruction?

And if God, willing to shew the wrath and to make known His power, did endure, in much long suffering, vessels of wrath fitted for destruction,

23 A nd He thus purposes to make known and show the wealth of His glory in the vessels (objects) of His mercy which He has prepared beforehand for glory,

and that He might make known the riches of His glory on vessels of kindness, that He before prepared for glory, whom also He did call -- us --

24 E ven including ourselves whom He has called, not only from among the Jews but also from among the Gentiles (heathen)?

not only out of Jews, but also out of nations,

25 J ust as He says in Hosea, Those who were not My people I will call My people, and her who was not beloved My beloved.

as also in Hosea He saith, `I will call what not My people -- My people; and her not beloved -- Beloved,

26 A nd it shall be that in the very place where it was said to them, You are not My people, they shall be called sons of the living God.

and it shall be -- in the place where it was said to them, Ye not My people; there they shall be called sons of the living God.'

27 A nd Isaiah calls out (solemnly cries aloud) over Israel: Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sand of the sea, only the remnant (a small part of them) will be saved '> from perdition, condemnation, judgment]!

And Isaiah doth cry concerning Israel, `If the number of the sons of Israel may be as the sand of the sea, the remnant shall be saved;

28 F or the Lord will execute His sentence upon the earth, rigorously cutting it short in His justice.

for a matter He is finishing, and is cutting short in righteousness, because a matter cut short will the Lord do upon the land.

29 I t is as Isaiah predicted, If the Lord of hosts had not left us a seed, we would have fared like Sodom and have been made like Gomorrah.

and according as Isaiah saith before, `Except the Lord of Sabaoth did leave to us a seed, as Sodom we had become, and as Gomorrah we had been made like.'

30 W hat shall we say then? That Gentiles who did not follow after righteousness have attained it by faith,

What, then, shall we say? that nations who are not pursuing righteousness did attain to righteousness, and righteousness that of faith,

31 W hereas Israel, though ever in pursuit of a law of righteousness (right standing with God), actually did not succeed in fulfilling the Law.

and Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, at a law of righteousness did not arrive;

32 F or what reason? Because not through faith, relying on the merit of their works. They have stumbled over the Stumbling Stone.

wherefore? because -- not by faith, but as by works of law; for they did stumble at the stone of stumbling,

33 A s it is written, Behold I am laying in Zion a Stone that will make men stumble, a Rock that will make them fall; but he who believes in Him shall not be put to shame nor be disappointed in his expectations.

according as it hath been written, `Lo, I place in Sion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence; and every one who is believing thereon shall not be ashamed.'