Romans, 9

1. I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,

1. I tell you sincerely in Christ, and my conscience assures me in the Holy Spirit that I am not lying:

2. That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.

2. I have great sadness and constant anguish for the Jews.

3. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:

3. I would even desire that I myself suffer the curse of being cut off from Christ, instead of my brethren: I mean my own people, my kin.

4. Who are Israelites; to whom [pertaineth] the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service [of God], and the promises;

4. They are Israelites whom God adopted, and on them rests his Glory. Theirs are the covenants, the Law, the worship and the promises of God.

5. Whose [are] the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ [came], who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

5. They are descendants of the Patriarchs and from their race Christ was born, he who as God is above all distinctions. Blessed be He forever and ever: Amen!

6. Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they [are] not all Israel, which are of Israel:

6. We cannot say that the promise of God has failed. For not all Israelites belong to Israel.

7. Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, [are they] all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.

7. And not because they are of the race of Abraham are they all his children, for it was said to him: The children of Isaac will be called your descendants.

8. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these [are] not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

8. This means that the children of God are not identified with the race of Abraham, but only with the children born to him because of the promise of God.

9. For this [is] the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son.

9. To such a promise this text refers: I shall return about this time and Sarah will have a son.

10. And not only [this]; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, [even] by our father Isaac;

10. And listen: Rebecca, the wife of our father Isaac, became pregnant,

11. (For [the children] being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)

11. and before the twins were born, or had done anything right or wrong, in order that God's purpose of election might continue,

12. It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.

12. not on the merits but of who is called, she was told: The elder will serve the younger,

13. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

13. as the Scripture says: I chose Jacob and rejected Esau.

14. What shall we say then? [Is there] unrighteousness with God? God forbid.

14. Shall we say that God is unjust? Of course not.

15. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

15. However God said to Moses: I shall forgive whom I forgive and have pity on whom I have pity.

16. So then [it is] not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

16. So what is important is not that we worry or hurry, but that God has compassion.

17. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.

17. And he says in Scripture to Pharaoh: I made you Pharaoh to show my power in you, and for the whole world to know my name.

18. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will [have mercy], and whom he will he hardeneth.

18. And so God takes pity on whom he wishes, and hardens the heart of whomsoever he wishes.

19. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?

19. Maybe you say: "Why then does God complain, if it is impossible to evade his decision?"

20. Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed [it], Why hast thou made me thus?

20. But you, my friend, who are you to call God to account? Should the clay pot say to its maker: Why did you make me like this?

21. Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

21. Is it not up to the potter to make from the same clay a vessel for beauty and a vessel for menial use?

22. [What] if God, willing to shew [his] wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:

22. Thus God endures very patiently vessels that deserve his wrath, fit to be broken, and through them he wants to show his wrath and the extent of his power.

23. And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,

23. But he also wants to show the riches of his Glory in others, in vessels of mercy prepared for glory.

24. Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

24. And he called us, not only from among the Jews, but from among the pagans, too,

25. As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.

25. as he said through the prophet Hosea: I will call "my people" those that were not my people, and "my beloved" the one who was not beloved.

26. And it shall come to pass, [that] in the place where it was said unto them, Ye [are] not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.

26. And in the same place where they were told: "You are not my people," they will be called children of the living God.

27. Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:

27. With regard to Israel, Isaiah proclaims: Even if the Israelites are as numerous as the sand of the sea, only a few will be saved.

28. For he will finish the work, and cut [it] short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.

28. This is a matter that the Lord will settle in Israel without fail or delay.

29. And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.

29. Isaiah also announced: If the Almighty Lord had not left us some descendants, we would have become like Sodom and similar to Gomorrah.

30. What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.

30. What are we saying, then? That the pagans who were not aiming at true righteousness found it (I speak of righteousness through faith);

31. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.

31. while Israel, striving to observe a law of righteousness, lost the purpose of the Law.

32. Wherefore? Because [they sought it] not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;

32. Why? Because they relied on the observance of the Law, not on faith. And they stumbled over the stumbling stone (Christ),

33. As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

33. as it was said: Look, I am laying in Zion a stone that will make people stumble, a rock that will make them fall; but whoever relies on him will not be deceived.