Romans 9:8-32
New American Standard Bible
Chapter 9
8That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants. 9For this is the word of promise: 'AT THIS TIME I WILL COME, AND SARAH WILL HAVE A SON.' 10And not only that, but there was also Rebekah, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac; 11for 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, 12it was said to her, 'THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER.' 13Just as it is written: 'JACOB I HAVE LOVED, BUT ESAU I HAVE HATED.'
14What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? Far from it!
15For He says to Moses, 'I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOMEVER I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL SHOW COMPASSION TO WHOMEVER I SHOW COMPASSION.'
16So then, it does not depend on the person who wants it nor the one who runs, but on God who has mercy.
17For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, 'FOR THIS VERY REASON I RAISED YOU UP, IN ORDER TO DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU, AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT THE EARTH.'
18So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.
19You will say to me then, 'Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?'
20On the contrary, who are you, you foolish person, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, 'Why did you make me like this,' will it?
21Or does the potter not have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one object for honorable use, and another for common use?
22What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with great patience objects of wrath prepared for destruction?
23And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon objects of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory,
24namely us, whom He also called, not only from among Jews, but also from among Gentiles,
25as He also says 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.'
27Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, 'THOUGH THE NUMBER OF THE SONS OF ISRAEL MAY BE LIKE THE SAND OF THE SEA, ONLY the remnant will be saved;
28FOR THE Lord WILL EXECUTE HIS WORD ON THE EARTH, THOROUGHLY AND QUICKLY.'
30What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, but the righteousness that is by faith;
31however, Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law.
32Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though they could by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone,
King James Version
Chapter 9
8That 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. 9For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son. 10And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; 11For 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;) 12It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. 13As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
14What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
15For 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.
16So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
17For 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.
18Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
19Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
20Nay 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?
21Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
22What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
23And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
24Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
25As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.
26And 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.
27Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:
28For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.
30What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.
31But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.
32Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;
Christian Standard Bible
Chapter 9
8That is, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but the children of the promise are considered to be the offspring. 9For this is the statement of the promise: At this time I will come, and Sarah will have a son. 10And not only that, but Rebekah conceived children through one man, our father Isaac. 11For though her sons had not been born yet or done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to election might stand— 12not from works but from the one who calls—she was told, The older will serve the younger. 13As it is written: I have loved Jacob, but I have hated Esau.
14What should we say then? Is there injustice with God? Absolutely not!
15For he tells Moses, I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
16So then, it does not depend on human will or effort but on God who shows mercy.
17For the Scripture tells Pharaoh, I raised you up for this reason so that I may display my power in you and that my name may be proclaimed in the whole earth.
18So then, he has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy and he hardens whom he wants to harden.
19You will say to me, therefore, "Why then does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?"
20But who are you, a mere man, to talk back to God? Will what is formed say to the one who formed it, "Why did you make me like this?"
21Or has the potter no right over the clay, to make from the same lump one piece of pottery for honor and another for dishonor?
22And what if God, wanting to display his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much patience objects of wrath prepared for destruction?
23And what if he did this to make known the riches of his glory on objects of mercy that he prepared beforehand for glory —
24on us, the ones he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?
25As it also says in Hosea, I will call Not My People, My People, and she who is Unloved, Beloved.
26 And it will be in the place where they were told, you are not my people, there they will be called sons of the living God.
27But Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, Though the number of Israelites is like the sand of the sea, only the remnant will be saved;
28 since the Lord will execute his sentence completely and decisively on the earth.
30What should we say then? Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained righteousness—namely the righteousness that comes from faith.
31But Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not achieved the righteousness of the law.
32Why is that? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone.
New Living Translation
Chapter 9
8This means that Abraham’s physical descendants are not necessarily children of God. Only the children of the promise are considered to be Abraham’s children. 9For God had promised, 'I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.'
10This son was our ancestor Isaac. When he married Rebekah, she gave birth to twins.
11But before they were born, before they had done anything good or bad, she received a message from God. (This message shows that God chooses people according to his own purposes;
12he calls people, but not according to their good or bad works.) She was told, 'Your older son will serve your younger son.'
13In the words of the Scriptures, 'I loved Jacob, but I rejected Esau.'
17For the Scriptures say that God told Pharaoh, 'I have appointed you for the very purpose of displaying my power in you and to spread my fame throughout the earth.'
18So you see, God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen.
20No, don’t say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, 'Why have you made me like this?'
21When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn’t he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into?
22In the same way, even though God has the right to show his anger and his power, he is very patient with those on whom his anger falls, who are destined for destruction.
23He does this to make the riches of his glory shine even brighter on those to whom he shows mercy, who were prepared in advance for glory.
24And we are among those whom he selected, both from the Jews and from the Gentiles.
27And concerning Israel, Isaiah the prophet cried out, 'Though the people of Israel are as numerous as the sand of the seashore, only a remnant will be saved.
28For the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth quickly and with finality.'
30What does all this mean? Even though the Gentiles were not trying to follow God’s standards, they were made right with God. And it was by faith that this took place.
31But the people of Israel, who tried so hard to get right with God by keeping the law, never succeeded.
32Why not? Because they were trying to get right with God by keeping the law instead of by trusting in him. They stumbled over the great rock in their path.
English Standard Version
Chapter 9
8This 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 offspring. 9For this is what the promise said: "About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son." 10And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, 11though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad — in order that God 's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls — 12she was told, "The older will serve the younger." 13As it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."
14What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God 's part? By no means!
15For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."
16So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.
17For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."
18So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
19You will say to me then, "Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?"
20But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, "Why have you made me like this?"
21Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?
22What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,
23in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory —
24even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?
25As 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 it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’"
27And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: "Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved,
28for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay."
29And as Isaiah predicted, "If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring, we would have been like Sodom and become like Gomorrah."
30What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith;
31but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law.
32Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone,
New International Version
Chapter 9
8In 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. 9For this was how the promise was stated: "At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son."
10Not only that, but Rebekah’s children were conceived at the same time by our father Isaac.
11Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God’s purpose in election might stand:
12not by works but by him who calls—she was told, "The older will serve the younger."
13Just as it is written: "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."
16It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.
17For 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."
18Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.
19One of you will say to me: "Then why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist his will?"
20But 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?’ "
21Does 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?
22What 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?
23What 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—
24even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?
27Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: "Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved.
28For the Lord will carry out his sentence on earth with speed and finality."
30What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;
31but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal.
32Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone.
New King James Version
Chapter 9
8That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed. 9For this is the word of promise: “At this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son.”
10And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac
11(for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls),
12it was said to her, “The older shall serve the younger.”
13As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.”
14What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not!
15For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.”
16So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.
17For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.”
18Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.
19You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?”
20But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?”
21Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?
22What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,
23and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory,
24even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
25As He says also in Hosea: “I will call them My people, who were not My people, And her beloved, who was not beloved.”
26“And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ There they shall be called sons of the living God.”
27Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, The remnant will be saved.
28For He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness, Because the Lord will make a short work upon the earth.”
30What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith;
31but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness.
32Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone.
