THE EPISTLE
OF
PAUL THE APOSTLE
TO THE
ROMANS
Romans 9 ©
1 The apostle testifies his exceeding sorrow about the stubbornness of the Jews against Christ and His foregoing doctrine. 4 And rehearses the privileges which God gave them in the Old Testament above other nations. 6 Proves that nevertheless God’s promise are not of none effect, forasmuch as they were properly made, not to the children of the flesh, but to the children of the promise, that is to the elect, and that first by example of Ishmael and Isaac. 10 Afterwards by the example of Esau and Jacob. 14 Declares that God in the choosing of one and refusing of the other, is always just, by the example of Moses and Pharaoh. 19 Answers some objection of the flesh, and shows that God has power so to do, by the similitude of a potter. 24 He declares further that these elect ones are also powerfully called by God, as well out of the Jews, as principally out of the Gentiles. 25 Which he proves by several testimonies of the prophets. 30 Concludes finally with a declaration of the next cause wherefore the Gentiles obtained righteousness by the Messiah, and the most part of the Jews were estranged from it.
I SAYa the truth 1in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me 2witness 3in the Holy Ghost,
That I have 4great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.
Forb5I could wish that myself were 6accursed 7from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according 8to the flesh:
9Whoc are 10Israelites; to whom pertaineth 11the adoption, and 12the glory, andd13the covenants, and 14the giving of the law, and 15the service of God, and 16the promises;
17Whose are the fathers, and 18of whom as 19concerning the flesh Christ came, whoe is 20over all, 21God blessed for ever. Amen.
22Not asf23though 24the word of God hath 25taken none effect. Forg26they are not all Israel, 27which are of Israel:
Neither,h because they are 28the seed of Abraham, are they all 29children: but,i In Isaac shall 30thy seed be called.
That is, They which are 31the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: butj32the children of the promise 33are counted for the seed.
For this is the word of promise, 34Atk this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son.
35And not only this; butl when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
(For the children being 36not yet born, 37neither having done any good or evil, that 38the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but 39of him that calleth;)
It was said unto her, 40Them elder shall serve 41the younger.
As it is written, 42Jacobn have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
What shall we say then? 43Iso there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
For he saith to Moses, 44Ip will have mercy 45on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
So then it is not 46of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but 47of God that sheweth mercy.
For the scripture saith unto 48Pharaoh, Evenq for this same purpose have I 49raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he 50will 51he hardeneth.
Thou wilt say then unto me, 52Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
Nay but, 53O man, who art thou that repliest 54against God? Shallr55the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
56Hath not the potter power over the clay, 57of the same lump to make ones vessel 58unto honour, and another 59unto dishonour?
60What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering 61the vessels of wrath fitted 62to destruction:
And 63that he might make known the riches of his glory on 64the vessels of mercy, which he had 65afore prepared unto glory,
Even us, 66whom he hath 67called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
As he saith also in Osee, It will call them my people, 68which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.
And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Yeuare not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.
69Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Thoughv the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, 70a remnant shall 71be saved:
For he will finish 72the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.
And as Esaias said before, Exceptw the Lord of Sabaoth 73had left us a 74seed, we had been asx Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.
75What shall we say then? That the 76Gentiles, which followed 77not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness 78which is of faith.
But Israel, whichy followed after 79the law of righteousness, hath not attained 80to the law of righteousness.
Wherefore? Because they sought it not 81by faith, but as it were 82by the works of the law. For they stumbled 83at that stumblingstone;
84As it is written, Behold,z I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: andaa whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.