1 I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit,

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

2 t hat I have great sorrow and unceasing grief 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, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh,

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

4 w ho are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises,

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

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

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

6 B ut it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel;

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

7 n or are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants, but: “ through Isaac your descendants will be named.”

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

8 T hat is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as 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 the word of promise: “ At this time I will come, 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 this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac;

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

11 f or though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of 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, “ The older will serve the younger.”

`The greater shall serve the less;'

13 J ust as it is written, “ Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

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

14 W hat shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be!

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 have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I 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 it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has 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, “ For this very purpose I raised you up, to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth.”

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 whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.

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

19 Y ou will say to me then, “ Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?”

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

20 O n the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it?

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 O r does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common 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 willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared 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 did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He 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 us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.

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

25 A s He says also in Hosea, “ I will call those who were not My people, ‘My people,’ And her who was not beloved, ‘beloved.’”

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

26 “ And it shall be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘you are not My people,’ There 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 I saiah cries out concerning Israel, “ Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that will be saved;

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 word on the earth, thoroughly and quickly.”

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 A nd just as Isaiah foretold, “ Unless the Lord of Sabaoth had left to us a posterity, We would have become like Sodom, and would have resembled 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 pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith;

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

31 b ut Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law.

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

32 W hy? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They 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 j ust as it is written, “ Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.”

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.'