International Standard Version

New American Standard Bible 1995

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.

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

2I have deep sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart,

2that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart.

3for I could wish that I myself were condemned and cut off from the Messiah for the sake of my brothers, my own people,

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

4who are Israelis. To them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the Law, the worship, and the promises.

4who 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,

5To the Israelis belong the patriarchs, and from them, the Messiah descended, who is God over all, the one who is forever blessed. Amen.

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

6Now it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all Israelis truly belong to Israel,

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

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."

7nor are they all children because they are Abraham's descendants, but: "THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE NAMED."

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.

8That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants.

9For this is the language of the promise: "At this time I will return, and Sarah will have a son."

9For this is the word of promise: "AT THIS TIME I WILL COME, AND SARAH SHALL HAVE A SON."

10Not only that, but Rebecca became pregnant by our ancestor Isaac.

10And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac;

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

11for 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,

12according to his calling and not by actions), Rebecca was told, "The older child will serve the younger one."

12it was said to her, "THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER."

13So it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."

13Just as it is written, "JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED."

14What can we say, then? God is not unrighteous, is he? Of course not!

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

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."

15For He says to Moses, "I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION."

16Therefore, God's choice does not depend on a person's will or effort, but on God himself, who shows mercy.

16So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.

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."

17For 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."

18Therefore, God has mercy on whomever he chooses, and he hardens the heart of whomever he chooses.

18So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.

19You may ask me, "Then why does God still find fault with anybody? For who can resist his will?"

19You will say to me then, "Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?"

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?"

20On 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?

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.

21Or 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?

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?

22What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?

23Can't he also reveal his glorious riches to the objects of his mercy that he has prepared ahead of time for glory—

23And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory,

24including us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but from the gentiles as well?

24even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.

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.

25As He says also in Hosea, "I WILL CALL THOSE WHO WERE NOT MY PEOPLE, 'MY PEOPLE,' AND HER WHO WAS NOT BELOVED, 'BELOVED.'"

26In the very place where it was told them, 'You are not my people,' they will be called children of the living God."

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."

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.

27Isaiah 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;

28For the Lord will carry out his plan decisively, bringing it to completion on the earth."

28FOR THE LORD WILL EXECUTE HIS WORD ON THE EARTH, THOROUGHLY AND QUICKLY."

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."

29And 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."

30What can we say, then? Gentiles, who were not pursuing righteousness, have attained righteousness, a righteousness that comes through faith.

30What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith;

31But Israel, who pursued righteousness based on the Law, did not achieve the Law.

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

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.

32Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone,

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."

33just 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."

The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org