| Holman Christian Standard Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1I speak the truth in Christ--I am not lying; my conscience is testifying to me with the Holy Spirit-- | 1I am telling the truth because I belong to the Messiah —I am not lying, and my conscience confirms it by means of the Holy Spirit. |
| 2that I have intense sorrow and continual anguish in my heart. | 2I have deep sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart, |
| 3For I could almost wish to be cursed and cut off from the Messiah for the benefit of my brothers, my own flesh and blood. | 3for I could wish that I myself were condemned and cut off from the Messiah for the sake of my brothers, my own people, |
| 4They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the temple service, and the promises. | 4who are Israelis. To them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the Law, the worship, and the promises. |
| 5The ancestors are theirs, and from them, by physical descent, came the Messiah, who is God over all, praised forever. Amen. | 5To the Israelis belong the patriarchs, and from them, the Messiah descended, who is God over all, the one who is forever blessed. Amen. |
| 6But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. | 6Now it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all Israelis truly belong to Israel, |
| 7Neither are they all children because they are Abraham's descendants. On the contrary, your offspring will be traced through Isaac. | 7and not all of Abraham's descendants are his true descendants. On the contrary, "It is through Isaac that descendants will be named for you." |
| 8That is, it is not the children by physical descent who are God's children, but the children of the promise are considered to be the offspring. | 8That is, it is not merely the children born through natural descent who were regarded as God's children, but it is the children born through the promise who were regarded as descendants. |
| 9For this is the statement of the promise: At this time I will come, and Sarah will have a son. | 9For this is the language of the promise: "At this time I will return, and Sarah will have a son." |
| 10And not only that, but also Rebekah received a promise when she became pregnant by one man, our ancestor Isaac. | 10Not only that, but Rebecca became pregnant by our ancestor Isaac. |
| 11For though her sons had not been born yet or done anything good or bad, so that God's purpose according to election might stand-- | 11Yet before their children had been born or had done anything good or bad (so that God's plan of election might continue to operate |
| 12not from works but from the One who calls--she was told: The older will serve the younger. | 12according to his calling and not by actions), Rebecca was told, "The older child will serve the younger one." |
| 13As it is written: I have loved Jacob, but I have hated Esau. | 13So it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated." |
| 14What should we say then? Is there injustice with God? Absolutely not! | 14What can we say, then? God is not unrighteous, is he? Of course not! |
| 15For He tells Moses: I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. | 15For he says to Moses, "I will be merciful to the person I want to be merciful to, and I will be kind to the person I want to be kind to." |
| 16So then it does not depend on human will or effort but on God who shows mercy. | 16Therefore, God's choice does not depend on a person's will or effort, but on God himself, who shows mercy. |
| 17For the Scripture tells Pharaoh: I raised you up for this reason so that I may display My power in you and that My name may be proclaimed in all the earth. | 17For the Scripture says about Pharaoh, "I have raised you up for this very purpose, to demonstrate my power through you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." |
| 18So then, He shows mercy to those He wants to, and He hardens those He wants to harden. | 18Therefore, God has mercy on whomever he chooses, and he hardens the heart of whomever he chooses. |
| 19You will say to me, therefore, "Why then does He still find fault? For who can resist His will?" | 19You may ask me, "Then why does God still find fault with anybody? For who can resist his will?" |
| 20But who are you, a mere man, to talk back to God? Will what is formed say to the one who formed it, "Why did you make me like this?" | 20On the contrary, who are you—mere man that you are—to talk back to God? Can an object that was molded say to the one who molded it, "Why did you make me like this?" |
| 21Or has the potter no right over the clay, to make from the same lump one piece of pottery for honor and another for dishonor? | 21A potter has the right to do what he wants to with his clay, doesn't he? He can make something for a special occasion or something for ordinary use from the same lump of clay. |
| 22And what if God, desiring to display His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience objects of wrath ready for destruction? | 22Now if God wants to demonstrate his wrath and reveal his power, can't he be extremely patient with the objects of his wrath that are made for destruction? |
| 23And what if He did this to make known the riches of His glory on objects of mercy that He prepared beforehand for glory-- | 23Can't he also reveal his glorious riches to the objects of his mercy that he has prepared ahead of time for glory— |
| 24on us, the ones He also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? | 24including us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but from the gentiles as well? |
| 25As He also says in Hosea: I will call Not My People, My People, and she who is Unloved, Beloved. | 25As the Scripture says in Hosea, "Those who are not my people I will call my people, and the one who was not loved I will call my loved one. |
| 26And it will be in the place where they were told, you are not My people, there they will be called sons of the living God. | 26In the very place where it was told them, 'You are not my people,' they will be called children of the living God." |
| 27But Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: Though the number of Israel's sons is like the sand of the sea, only the remnant will be saved; | 27Isaiah also calls out concerning Israel, "Although the descendants of Israel are as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore, only a few will be saved. |
| 28for the Lord will execute His sentence completely and decisively on the earth. | 28For the Lord will carry out his plan decisively, bringing it to completion on the earth." |
| 29And just as Isaiah predicted: If the Lord of Hosts had not left us offspring, we would have become like Sodom, and we would have been made like Gomorrah. | 29It is just as Isaiah predicted: "If the Lord of the Heavenly Armies had not left us some descendants, we would have become like Sodom and would have been compared to Gomorrah." |
| 30What should we say then? Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained righteousness--namely the righteousness that comes from faith. | 30What can we say, then? Gentiles, who were not pursuing righteousness, have attained righteousness, a righteousness that comes through faith. |
| 31But Israel, pursuing the law for righteousness, has not achieved the righteousness of the law. | 31But Israel, who pursued righteousness based on the Law, did not achieve the Law. |
| 32Why is that? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone. | 32Why not? Because they did not pursue it on the basis of faith, but as if it were based on achievements. They stumbled over the stone that causes people to stumble. |
| 33As it is written: Look! I am putting a stone in Zion to stumble over and a rock to trip over, yet the one who believes on Him will not be put to shame. | 33As it is written, "Look! I am placing a stone in Zion over which people will stumble— a large rock that will make them fall— and the one who believes in him will never be ashamed." |
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