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1 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,
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2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.
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3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
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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;
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5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
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6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
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7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
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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.
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9 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son.
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10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
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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;)
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12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
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13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
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14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
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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.
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16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
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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.
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18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
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19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
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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?
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21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
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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:
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23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
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24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
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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.
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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.
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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:
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28 For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.
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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.
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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.
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31 But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.
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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;
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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.
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- 1 I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit,
- 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart.
- 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh,
- 4 who 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,
- 5 whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.
- 6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel;
- 7 nor are they all children because they are Abraham's descendants, but: “THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE NAMED.”
- 8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants.
- 9 For this is the word of promise: “AT THIS TIME I WILL COME, AND SARAH SHALL HAVE A SON.”
- 10 And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac;
- 11 for 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,
- 12 it was said to her, “THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER.”
- 13 Just as it is written, “JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED.”
- 14 What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be!
- 15 For He says to Moses, “I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION.”
- 16 So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.
- 17 For 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.”
- 18 So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.
- 19 You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?”
- 20 On 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?
- 21 Or 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?
- 22 What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?
- 23 And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory,
- 24 even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.
- 25 As He says also in Hosea, “I WILL CALL THOSE WHO WERE NOT MY PEOPLE, 'MY PEOPLE,' AND HER WHO WAS NOT BELOVED, 'BELOVED.'”
- 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.”
- 27 Isaiah 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;
- 28 FOR THE LORD WILL EXECUTE HIS WORD ON THE EARTH, THOROUGHLY AND QUICKLY.”
- 29 And 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.”
- 30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith;
- 31 but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law.
- 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone,
- 33 just 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.”
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