Solicitude for Israel

1 aI am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit,

2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart.

3 For aI could 1wish that I myself were baccursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen caccording to the flesh,

4 who are aIsraelites, to whom belongs bthe adoption as sons, and cthe glory and dthe covenants and ethe giving of the Law and fthe temple service and gthe promises,

5 whose are athe fathers, and bfrom whom is 1the Christ according to the flesh, cwho is over all, dGod eblessed 2forever. Amen.

6 But it is not as though athe word of God has failed. bFor they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel;

7 nor are they all children abecause they are Abraham’s 1descendants, but: “2bthrough Isaac your 1descendants will be named.”

8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are achildren of God, but the bchildren of the promise are regarded as 1descendants.

9 For this is the word of promise: “aAt this time I will come, and Sarah shall have a son.”

10 aAnd not only this, but there was bRebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac;

11 for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that aGod’s purpose according to His choice would 1stand, not 2because of works but 2because of Him who calls,

12 it was said to her, “aThe older will serve the younger.”

13 Just as it is written, “aJacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”