1 I say truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience bearing witness with me in Holy Spirit,

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

2 t hat I have great grief and uninterrupted pain in my heart,

That I have bitter grief and incessant anguish in my heart.

3 f or I have wished, I myself, to be a curse from the Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen, according to flesh;

For 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.

4 w ho are Israelites; whose the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the law-giving, and the service, and the promises;

For 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.

5 w hose the fathers; and of whom, as according to flesh, the Christ, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

To 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).

6 N ot however as though the word of God had failed; for not all Israel which of Israel;

However, 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.

7 n or because they are seed of Abraham all children: but, In Isaac shall a seed be called to thee.

And 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.

8 T hat is, the children of the flesh, these not the children of God; but the children of the promise are reckoned as seed.

That 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.

9 F or this word of promise, According to this time I will come, and there shall be a son to Sarah.

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

10 A nd not only, but Rebecca having conceived by one, Isaac our father,

And not only that, but this too: Rebecca conceived by our forefather Isaac,

11 i ndeed being not yet born, or having done anything good or worthless (that the purpose of God according to election might abide, not of works, but of him that calls),

And 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,

12 i t was said to her, The greater shall serve the less:

It was said to her that the elder should serve the younger.

13 a ccording as it is written, I have loved Jacob, and I have hated Esau.

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

14 W hat shall we say then? unrighteousness with God? Far be the thought.

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

15 F or he says to Moses, I will shew mercy to whom I will shew mercy, and I will feel compassion for whom I will feel compassion.

For 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.

16 S o then not of him that wills, nor of him that runs, but of God that shews mercy.

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

17 F or the scripture says to Pharaoh, For this very thing I have raised thee up from amongst, that I might thus shew in thee my power, and so that my name should be declared in all the earth.

For 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.

18 S o then, to whom he will he shews mercy, and whom he will he hardens.

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

19 T hou wilt say to me then, Why does he yet find fault? for who resists his purpose?

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

20 A ye, but thou, O man, who art thou that answerest again to God? Shall the thing formed say to him that has formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?

But 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?

21 O r has not the potter authority over the clay, out of the same lump to make one vessel to honour, and another to dishonour?

Has 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?

22 A nd if God, minded to shew his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much long-suffering vessels of wrath fitted for destruction;

What 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?

23 a nd that he might make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he had before prepared for glory,

And 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,

24 u s, whom he has also called, not only from amongst Jews, but also from amongst nations?

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

25 A s he says also in Hosea, I will call not-my-people My people; and the-not-beloved Beloved.

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

26 A nd it shall be, in the place where it was said to them, Ye not my people, there shall they be called Sons of living God.

And 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.

27 B ut Esaias cries concerning Israel, Should the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, the remnant shall be saved:

And 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]!

28 f or is bringing the matter to an end, and short in righteousness; because] a cutting short of the matter will Lord accomplish upon the earth.

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

29 A nd according as Esaias said before, Unless Lord of hosts had left us a seed, we had been as Sodom, and made like even as Gomorrha.

It 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.

30 W hat then shall we say? That nations, who did not follow after righteousness, have attained righteousness, but righteousness that is on the principle of faith.

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

31 B ut Israel, pursuing after a law of righteousness, has not attained to law.

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

32 W herefore? Because not on the principle of faith, but as of works. They have stumbled at the stumblingstone,

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

33 a ccording as it is written, Behold, I place in Zion a stone of stumbling and rock of offence: and he that believes on him shall not be ashamed.

As 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.