9I speak the truth in Christ^h—I am not lying; my conscience testifies to me through the Holy Spirit^B—²that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. ³For I could wishⁱ that I myself were cursed^j and cut off^C from Christ for the benefit of my brothers and sisters, my own flesh and blood. ⁴They 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 ⁵The ancestors are theirs,^r and from them, by physical descent,^D came the Christ,^s who is God^t over all,^u praised forever.^E^v Amen.

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Footnotes

BOr testifying with me by the Holy Spirit
C to be anathema
D them, according to the flesh
EOr the Messiah, the one who is over all, the God who is blessed forever, or Messiah. God, who is over all, be blessed forever

Cross references

h Rm 1:9; 2Co 11:10; Gl 1:20; 1Tm 2:7
i Ex 32:32
j 1Co 12:3; 16:22; Gl 1:8,9
k Rm 8:6
l Ex 4:22; Rm 8:15
m Ex 40:34; 1Kg 8:11; Ezk 1:28; Heb 9:5
n Gn 17:2; Dt 29:14; Lk 1:72; Ac 3:25; Eph 2:12
o Dt 4:13–14; Ps 147:19
p Dt 7:6; 14:1; Heb 9:1,6
q Ac 2:39; 13:32; Eph 2:12
r Ac 3:13; Rm 11:28
s Mt 1:1–16; Rm 1:3
t Jn 1:1; Col 2:9
u Col 1:16–19
v Rm 1:25

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit—I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 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, 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. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.

NLTNew Living Translation

With Christ as my witness, I speak with utter truthfulness. My conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm it. My heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief for my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters. I would be willing to be forever cursed—cut off from Christ!—if that would save them. They are the people of Israel, chosen to be God’s adopted children. God revealed his glory to them. He made covenants with them and gave them his law. He gave them the privilege of worshiping him and receiving his wonderful promises. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are their ancestors, and Christ himself was an Israelite as far as his human nature is concerned. And he is God, the one who rules over everything and is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

I am telling the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears witness to me in the Holy Spirit—that my grief is great and there is constant distress in my heart. For I could wish myself to be accursed from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my fellow countrymen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom belong the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the temple service, and the promises, to whom belong the patriarchs, and from whom is the Christ according to human descent, who is God over all, blessed forever! Amen.

KJV 1900King James Version

I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

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