Romans 9

Disciples’ Literal New Testament

My Heart Has Great Grief And Pain Over Israel

9 I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying— my conscience bearing-witness-with me in the Holy Spirit— ² that there is great grief in me and unceasing pain in my heart. ³ For I would pray^[a] that I myself might be accursed from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh— ⁴ who are Israelites, of whom^[b] is the adoption and the glory^[c] and the covenants and the Law-giving and the [temple] service and the promises, ⁵ of whom are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according-to^[d] the flesh, the One being^[e] over all, God, blessed forever, amen.

But Not All Abraham’s Physical Children Are Children of God

⁶ But it is not such as that the word of God has failed— for not all^[f] these ones from Israel are Israel. ⁷ Nor are they all children because they are seed of Abraham, but “In Isaac a seed will be called for you” [Gen 21:12]. ⁸ That is, these children of the flesh are not children of God, but the children of ^[g] the promise are counted for seed. ⁹ For the word of promise is this: “I will come at this time, and there will be a son to Sarah” [Gen 18:10]. ¹⁰ And not only this, but there is also Rebekah having bed^[h] from one man, Isaac our father. ¹¹ For the twins having not yet been born nor having done anything good or bad— in order that the purpose^[i] of God according to His choosing^[j] might continue^[k], ¹² not of works but of the One calling— it was said to her [in Gen 25:23] that “the older will serve the younger”. ¹³ Just as it has been written [in Mal 1:2-3]: “I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau”.

God Has Mercy On Whom He Wants, And He Hardens Whom He Wants

¹⁴ Therefore what shall we say? There is not unrighteousness^[l] with God, is there? May it never be! ¹⁵ For He says to Moses [in Ex 33:19], “I will have-mercy-on whomever I have-mercy, and I will have-compassion-on whomever I have compassion”. ¹⁶ So then, mercy is not of ^[m] the one wanting, nor of the one running, but of the One having-mercy^[n]— God. ¹⁷ For the Scripture says to Pharaoh [in Ex 9:16] that “I raised you up for this very purpose: so that I might demonstrate My power^[o] in you, and so that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth”. ¹⁸ So then, He has-mercy-on whom He wants, and He hardens^[p] whom He wants.

The Creator Is Making Known His Wrath And His Mercy In Humankind

¹⁹ Therefore you will say to me, “Why then does He still find-fault? For who has resisted^[q] His will?” ²⁰ O human, on the contrary, who are you, the one answering-back to God? The thing formed will not say to the one having formed it, “Why did you make me like-this?”, will it? ²¹ Or does not the potter have authority over the clay to make from the same lump one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? ²² But what if God, wanting^[r] to demonstrate His wrath and to make-known His power, bore^[s] with much patience vessels of wrath having been prepared^[t] for destruction, ²³ and did so in order that He might make-known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy which He prepared-beforehand^[u] for glory— ²⁴ even us whom He called not only from the Jews, but also from the Gentiles?

He Is Making Those Not His People His Own Children

²⁵ As^[v] He says also in Hosea: “I will call ‘Not My people’, ‘My people’; and ‘Not having been loved’, ‘Having been loved’” [Hos 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” [Hos 1:10].

But Only a Remnant of Israel Will Be Saved

²⁷ But^[w] Isaiah cries-out concerning Israel: “If the number of the sons of Israel should be like the sand of the sea, the remnant will be saved. ²⁸ For the Lord will accomplish^[x] His word upon the earth, completing^[y] and cutting-short^[z]” [in Isa 10:22-23]. ²⁹ And just as Isaiah said-before [in Isa 1:9]: “Unless the Lord of Sabaoth had left-behind a seed for us, we would have become like Sodom, and we would have been likened^[aa] as Gomorrah”.

Israel Pursued a Righteousness Through The Law, And Did Not Attain It

³⁰ Therefore, what shall we say? That Gentiles, the ones not pursuing righteousness, took-hold-of ^[ab] righteousness— but a righteousness by faith. ³¹ But Israel, pursuing the Law of righteousness, did not attain to that Law. ³² For what reason? Because they pursued it not by faith, but as-if it was by works. They stumbled on the Stone of stumbling, ³³ just as it has been written [in Isa 28:16]: “Behold— I am laying in Zion a Stone of stumbling and a Rock of falling. And the one putting-faith upon Him will not be put-to-shame”.