Romans 9

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 This is the truth and I am speaking in Christ, without pretence, as my conscience testifies for me in theHoly Spirit;	1 I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie; my conscience joins with the holy Spirit in bearing me witness
2 there is great sorrow and unremitting agony in my heart:	2 that I have great sorrow and constant anguish in my heart.
3 I could pray that I myself might be accursed and cut off from Christ, if this could benefit the brotherswho are my own flesh and blood.	3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and separated from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kin according to the flesh.
4 They are Israelites; it was they who were adopted as children, the glory was theirs and the covenants;to them were given the Law and the worship of God and the promises.	4 They are Israelites; theirs the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises;
5 To them belong the fathers and out of them, so far as physical descent is concerned, came Christ whois above al , God, blessed for ever. Amen.	5 theirs the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, is the Messiah. God who is over all be blessed forever. Amen.
6 It is not that God's promise has failed. Not all born Israelites belong to Israel,	6 But it is not that the word of God has failed. For not all who are of Israel are Israel,
7 and not all the descendants of Abraham count as his children, for Isaac is the one through whom yourName will be carried on.	7 nor are they all children of Abraham because they are his descendants; but "It is through Isaac that descendants shall bear your name."
8 That is, it is not by being children through physical descent that people become children of God; it isthe children of the promise that are counted as the heirs.	8 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as descendants.
9 The actual words of the promise were: I shal come back to you at this season, and Sarah wil have ason.	9 For this is the wording of the promise, "About this time I shall return and Sarah will have a son."
10 Even more to the point is what was said to Rebecca when she was pregnant by our ancestor, Isaac,	10 And not only that, but also when Rebecca had conceived children by one husband, our father Isaac --
11 before her children were born, so that neither had yet done anything either good or bad, but in orderthat it should be God's choice which prevailed	11 before they had yet been born or had done anything, good or bad, in order that God's elective plan might continue,
12 -not human merit, but his cal -- she was told: the elder one wil serve the younger.	12 not by works but by his call--she was told, "The older shall serve the younger."
13 Or as scripture says elsewhere: I loved Jacob but hated Esau.	13 As it is written: "I loved Jacob but hated Esau."
14 What should we say, then? That God is unjust? Out of the question!	14 What then are we to say? Is there injustice on the part of God? Of course not!
15 For speaking to Moses, he said: I am gracious to those to whom I am gracious and I take pity onthose on whom I take pity.	15 For he says to Moses: "I will show mercy to whom I will, I will take pity on whom I will."
16 So it is not a matter of what any person wants or what any person does, but only of God havingmercy.	16 So it depends not upon a person's will or exertion, but upon God, who shows mercy.
17 Scripture says to Pharaoh: I raised you up for this reason, to display my power in you and to have myname talked of throughout the world.	17 For the scripture says to Pharaoh, "This is why I have raised you up, to show my power through you that my name may be proclaimed throughout the earth."
18 In other words, if God wants to show mercy on someone, he does so, and if he wants to hardensomeone's heart, he does so.	18 Consequently, he has mercy upon whom he wills, and he hardens whom he wills.
19 Then you wil ask me, 'How then can he ever blame anyone, since no one can oppose his wil ?'	19 You will say to me then, "Why (then) does he still find fault? For who can oppose his will?"
20 But you -- who do you think you, a human being, are, to answer back to God? Something that wasmade, can it say to its maker: why did you make me this shape?	20 But who indeed are you, a human being, to talk back to God? Will what is made say to its maker,"Why have you created me so?"
21 A potter surely has the right over his clay to make out of the same lump either a pot for special use orone for ordinary use.	21 Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for a noble purpose and another for an ignoble one?
22 But suppose that God, although all the time he wanted to reveal his retribution and demonstrate hispower, has with great patience gone on putting up with those who are the instruments of his retribution anddesigned to be destroyed;	22 What if God, wishing to show his wrath and make known his power, has endured with much patience the vessels of wrath made for destruction?
23 so that he may make known the glorious riches ready for the people who are the instruments of hisfaithful love and were long ago prepared for that glory.	23 This was to make known the riches of his glory to the vessels of mercy, which he has prepared previously for glory,
24 We are that people, cal ed by him not only out of the Jews but out of the gentiles too.	24 namely, us whom he has called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles.
25 Just as he says in the book of Hosea: I shal tell those who were not my people, 'You are my people,'and I shall take pity on those on whom I had no pity.	25 As indeed he says in Hosea: "Those who were not my people I will call 'my people,' and her who was not beloved I will call 'beloved.'
26 And in the very place where they were told, 'You are not my people,' they wil be told that they are'children of the living God'.	26 And in the very place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' there they shall be called children of the living God."
27 And about Israel, this is what Isaiah cried out: Though the people of Israel are like the sand of thesea, only a remnant will be saved;	27 And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, "Though the number of the Israelites were like the sand of the sea, only a remnant will be saved;
28 for without hesitation or delay the Lord wil execute his sentence on the earth.	28 for decisively and quickly will the Lord execute sentence upon the earth."
29 As Isaiah foretold: Had the Lord Sabaoth not left us a few survivors, we should be like Sodom, weshould be the same as Gomorrah.	29 And as Isaiah predicted: "Unless the Lord of hosts had left us descendants, we would have become like Sodom and have been made like Gomorrah."
30 What should we say, then? That the gentiles, although they were not looking for saving justice, foundit, and this was the saving justice that comes of faith;	30 What then shall we say? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have achieved it, that is, righteousness that comes from faith;
31 while Israel, looking for saving justice by law-keeping, did not succeed in fulfilling the Law.	31 but that Israel, who pursued the law of righteousness, did not attain to that law?
32 And why? Because they were trying to find it in actions and not in faith, and so they stumbled over thestumbling-stone-	32 Why not? Because they did it not by faith, but as if it could be done by works. They stumbled over the stone that causes stumbling,
33 as it says in scripture: Now I am laying in Zion a stumbling-stone, a rock to trip people up; but he whorelies on this wil not be brought to disgrace.	33 as it is written: "Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion that will make people stumble and a rock that will make them fall, and whoever believes in him shall not be put to shame."