[[Romans 8|<< Romans 8]] | [[Romans|Romans]] | [[Romans 10|Romans 10 >>]] ### Romans 9 1 I SAY the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, ^1 2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. ^2 3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: ^3 4 Who are Israelites; to whom _pertains_ the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service _of_ _God_, and the promises; ^4 5 Whose _are_ the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ _came_, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen. ^5 6 Not as though the word of God has taken none effect. For they _are_ not all Israel, which are of Israel: ^6 7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, _are_ _they_ all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. ^7 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 9 For this _is_ the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son. ^9 10 And not only _this;_ but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, _even_ by our father Isaac; ^10 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 calls;) ^11 12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. ^12 13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. ^13 14 What shall we say then? _Is_ _there_ unrighteousness with God? God forbid. ^14 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 16 So then _it_ _is_ not of him that wills, nor of him that runs, but of God that shows mercy. ^16 17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. ^17 18 Therefore has he mercy on whom he will _have_ _mercy_, and whom he will he hardens. ^18 19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who has resisted his will? ^19 20 No 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 21 Has not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor? ^21 22 _What_ if God, willing to show _his_ wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: ^22 23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had before prepared unto glory, ^23 24 Even us, whom he has called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? ^24 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 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 27 Esaias also cries concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved: ^27 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 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 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 31 But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. ^31 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 33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believes on him shall not be ashamed. ^33