King James Version

1 I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie, my conscience bearing witness with me in the Holy Spirit. 2 For great sorrow is to me, and unceasing pain in my heart. 3 For I wished to be accursed myself from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my relatives according to the flesh. 4 Who are Israelites, to whom belong the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the lawgiving, and the worship, and the promises. 5 Of whom are the fathers, and from whom is Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever; Amen. 6 The word of God has not failed. For not all who are from Israel are Israel. 7 Nor that they are the seed of Abraham, but: "In Isaac shall your seed be called." 8 That is, the children of the flesh are not the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as seed. 9 For this is the promise: At this appointed time I will come, and there will be a son to Sarah. 10 Not only that, but also Rebecca, having come from one womb, belonging to Isaac our father. 11 For none had yet been born nor had done any good or evil, in order that the purpose of God according to election might remain. 12 Not from works, but from the one calling, it was said to her, "The greater will serve the lesser." 13 As it is written: "I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau." 14 What then shall we say? Is there injustice with God? May it not be! 15 For to Moses he says: I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. 16 Therefore, it is not of the one who wills, nor of the one who runs, but of God who shows mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this purpose I raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." 18 Therefore, whom he wishes, he has mercy on; and whom he wishes, he hardens. 19 You will say to me then: What then is he still complaining about? For who has opposed his will? 20 O man, indeed, who are you that answers to God? Let not the thing formed say to the one who formed it, "Why have you made me this way?" 21 Or does not the potter have authority over the clay to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor from the same lump? 22 But if God, wishing to demonstrate his wrath and to make known his power, endured with great patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 And to know the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, 24 Whom he called not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? 25 As also in Hosea he says: I will call the not my people, my people, and the not beloved, beloved. 26 And it will be in the place where it was said to them: You are not my people, there they will be called sons of the living God. 27 Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: If the number of the sons of Israel are as the sand of the sea, the remnant will be saved. 28 For the Lord will accomplish and cut short the word upon the earth. 29 And as Isaiah has said: If the Lord of Hosts had not left us a seed, we would have become like Sodom and we would have been made like Gomorrah. 30 What then shall we say? That the nations who do not pursue righteousness have attained righteousness, righteousness, however, that is by faith. 31 But Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not attain to the law. 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were by works; they stumbled over the stone of stumbling. 33 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 put to shame.