Romans 9:1–13

Paul’s Anguish Over Israel

9I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying,ⁿ my conscience confirms^o it through the Holy Spirit—²I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. ³For I could wish that I myself^p were cursed^q and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people,^r those of my own race,^{s 4}the people of Israel.^t Theirs is the adoption to sonship;^u theirs the divine glory,^v the covenants,^w the receiving of the law,^x the temple worship^y and the promises.^{z 5}Theirs are the patriarchs,^a and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah,^b who is God over all,^c forever praised!^ad Amen.

God’s Sovereign Choice

⁶It is not as though God’s word^e had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.^{f 7}Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”^{bg 8}In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children,^h but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.^{i 9}For this was how the promise was stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”^cj

¹⁰Not only that, but Rebekah’s children were conceived at the same time by our father Isaac.^{k 11}Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad^l—in order that God’s purpose^m in election might stand: ¹²not by works but by him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”^{dn 13}Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”^eo