ISRAEL’S REJECTION OF CHRIST

9 I speak the truth in Christh—I am not lying; my conscience testifies to me through the Holy SpiritA—2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wishi that I myself were cursedj and cut offB from Christ for the benefit of my brothers and sisters, my own flesh and blood. 4 They are Israelites,k and to them belong the adoption,l the glory,m the covenants,n the giving of the law,o the temple service,p and the promises.q 5 The ancestors are theirs,r and from them, by physical descent,C came the Christ,s who is Godt over all,u praised forever.D,v Amen.

GOD’S GRACIOUS ELECTION OF ISRAEL

6 Now it is not as though the word of God has failed,w because not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.x 7 Neither is it the case that all of Abraham’s children are his descendants.E,y On the contrary, your offspring will be tracedF through Isaac.G,z 8 That is, it is not the children by physical descentH who are God’s children,aa but the children of the promiseab are considered to be the offspring. 9 For this is the statement of the promise: At this time I will come, and Sarah will have a son.I,ac 10 And not only that,ad but Rebekah conceived childrenae through one man, our father Isaac. 11 For though her sons had not been born yet or done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to election might standaf—12 not from works but from the one who calls—she was told, The older will serve the younger.J,ag 13 As it is written: I have loved Jacob, but I have hated Esau.K,ah

GOD’S SELECTION IS JUST

14 What should we say then?ai Is there injustice with God?aj Absolutely not!ak 15 For he tells Moses, I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.L,al 16 So then, it does not depend on human will or effortam but on God who shows mercy.an 17 For 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.M,ao 18 So then, he has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy and he hardens whom he wants to harden.ap

19 You will say to me,aq therefore, “Why then does he still find fault?ar For who resists his will?”as 20 On the contrary, who are you, a human being, to talk back to God?at Will what is formed say to the one who formed it, “Why did you make me like this?”au 21 Or has the potter no right over the clay,av to make from the same lump one piece of pottery for honor and another for dishonor? 22 And what if God, wanting to display his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much patienceaw objects of wrath prepared for destruction?ax 23 And what if he did this to make known the riches of his gloryay on objects of mercyaz that he prepared beforehand for gloryba—