New International Version

Darby Bible Translation

Paul’s Anguish Over Israel

I speak the truth in Christ — I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit —

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Paul's Concern for the Jews

I say [the] truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience bearing witness with me in [the] Holy Spirit,

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I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.

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that I have great grief and uninterrupted pain in my heart,

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For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race,

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for I have wished, I myself, to be a curse from the Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen, according to flesh;

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the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises.

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who are Israelites; whose [is] the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the law-giving, and the service, and the promises;

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Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised!a Amen.

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whose [are] the fathers; and of whom, as according to flesh, [is] the Christ, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

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God’s Sovereign Choice

It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.

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God's Sovereign Choice

Not however as though the word of God had failed; for not all [are] Israel which [are] of Israel;

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Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”b

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nor because they are seed of Abraham [are] all children: but, In Isaac shall a seed be called to thee.

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In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.

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That is, [they that are] the children of the flesh, these [are] not the children of God; but the children of the promise are reckoned as seed.

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For this was how the promise was stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”c

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For this word [is] of promise, According to this time I will come, and there shall be a son to Sarah.

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Not only that, but Rebekah’s children were conceived at the same time by our father Isaac.

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And not only [that], but Rebecca having conceived by one, Isaac our father,

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Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad — in order that God’s purpose in election might stand:

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[the children] indeed being not yet born, or having done anything good or worthless (that the purpose of God according to election might abide, not of works, but of him that calls),

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not by works but by him who calls — she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”d

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it was said to her, The greater shall serve the less:

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Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”e

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according as it is written, I have loved Jacob, and I have hated Esau.

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What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all!

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What shall we say then? [Is there] unrighteousness with God? Far be the thought.

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For he says to Moses,
“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,
and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”f

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For he says to Moses, I will shew mercy to whom I will shew mercy, and I will feel compassion for whom I will feel compassion.

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It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.

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So then [it is] not of him that wills, nor of him that runs, but of God that shews mercy.

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For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”g

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For the scripture says to Pharaoh, For this very thing I have raised thee up from amongst [men], that I might thus shew in thee my power, and so that my name should be declared in all the earth.

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Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.

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So then, to whom he will he shews mercy, and whom he will he hardens.

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One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist his will?”

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The Calling of the Gentiles

Thou wilt say to me then, Why does he yet find fault? for who resists his purpose?

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But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’ ”h

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Aye, but thou, O man, who art *thou* that answerest again to God? Shall the thing formed say to him that has formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?

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Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?

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Or has not the potter authority over the clay, out of the same lump to make one vessel to honour, and another to dishonour?

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What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath — prepared for destruction?

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And if God, minded to shew his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much long-suffering vessels of wrath fitted for destruction;

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What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory —

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and that he might make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he had before prepared for glory,

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even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?

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us, whom he has also called, not only from amongst [the] Jews, but also from amongst [the] nations?

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As he says in Hosea:
“I will call them ‘my people’ who are not my people;
and I will call her ‘my loved one’ who is not my loved one,”i

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As he says also in Hosea, I will call not-my-people My people; and the-not-beloved Beloved.

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and,
“In the very place where it was said to them,
‘You are not my people,’
there they will be called ‘children of the living God.’ ”j

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And it shall be, in the place where it was said to them, *Ye* [are] not my people, there shall they be called Sons of [the] living God.

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Isaiah cries out concerning Israel:
“Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea,
only the remnant will be saved.

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But Esaias cries concerning Israel, Should the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, the remnant shall be saved:

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For the Lord will carry out
his sentence on earth with speed and finality.”k

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for [he] is bringing the matter to an end, and [cutting [it] short in righteousness; because] a cutting short of the matter will [the] Lord accomplish upon the earth.

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It is just as Isaiah said previously:
“Unless the Lord Almighty
had left us descendants,
we would have become like Sodom,
we would have been like Gomorrah.”l

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And according as Esaias said before, Unless [the] Lord of hosts had left us a seed, we had been as Sodom, and made like even as Gomorrha.

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Israel’s Unbelief

What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;

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Israel's Unbelief

What then shall we say? That [they of the] nations, who did not follow after righteousness, have attained righteousness, but [the] righteousness that is on the principle of faith.

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but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal.

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But Israel, pursuing after a law of righteousness, has not attained to [that] law.

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Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone.

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Wherefore? Because [it was] not on the principle of faith, but as of works. They have stumbled at the stumblingstone,

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As it is written:
“See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall,
and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame.”m

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according as it is written, Behold, I place in Zion a stone of stumbling and rock of offence: and he that believes on him shall not be ashamed.

Parallel

New International Version

Darby Bible Translation

Romans 9

Romans 9