Romans 9:1–23

¹I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience bearing witness with me in the Holy Spirit, ²that I have great grief and uninterrupted pain in my heart, ³for I have wished, I myself, to be a curse from the Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen, according to flesh; ⁴who are Israelites; whose is the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the law-giving, and the service, and the promises; ⁵whose are the fathers; and of whom, as according to flesh, is the Christ, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

⁶Not however as though the word of God had failed; for not all are Israel which are of Israel; ⁷nor because they are seed of Abraham are all children: but, In Isaac shall a seed be called to thee. ⁸That is, they that are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are reckoned as seed. ⁹For this word is of promise, According to this time I will come, and there shall be a son to Sarah. ¹⁰And not only that, but Rebecca having conceived by one, Isaac our father, ¹¹the children indeed being not yet born, or having done anything good or worthless (that the purpose of God according to election might abide, not of works, but of him that calls), ¹²it was said to her, The greater shall serve the less: ¹³according as it is written, I have loved Jacob, and I have hated Esau.

¹⁴What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Far be the thought. ¹⁵For he says to Moses, I will shew mercy to whom I will shew mercy, and I will feel compassion for whom I will feel compassion. ¹⁶So then it is not of him that wills, nor of him that runs, but of God that shews mercy. ¹⁷For the scripture says to Pharaoh, For this very thing I have raised thee up from amongst men, that I might thus shew in thee my power, and so that my name should be declared in all the earth. ¹⁸So then, to whom he will he shews mercy, and whom he will he hardens. ¹⁹Thou wilt say to me then, Why does he yet find fault? for who resists his purpose? ²⁰Aye, but thou, O man, who art thou that answerest again to God? Shall the thing formed say to him that has formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? ²¹Or has not the potter authority over the clay, out of the same lump to make one vessel to honour, and another to dishonour? ²²And if God, minded to shew his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much long-suffering vessels of wrath fitted for destruction; ²³and that he might make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he had before prepared for glory,