1 I tell the truth in Christ--I am not lying. My conscience testifies to me through the Holy Spirit--
2 That I have great heaviness and continuous sorrow in my heart.
3 Because I wish that I could trade my salvation for salvation for my physical relatives.
4 They are the people of Israel, chosen to be God's adopted children. He 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.
5 They are descended from the famous Hebrew ancestors, and Christ, as a human being, belongs to their race. And he is God, the one who rules over everything and is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.
7 Nor is everyone who is descended from Abraham called his children, since "In Isaac shall thy seed be called."
8 That is, not all those who are the physical descendants of Abraham are the children of God, but those who are from the the promise are counted as his descendants.
9 For this is the word of promise, "At this time next year will I come, and Sara will have a son."
10 And not only this, but when Rebecca also was pregnant by our father Isaac,
11 (Because before the children were born, before they had done anything good or bad, so that the plan of God according to His selection of [the Messianic line] would continue, not because of [any human's] works, but because of Him who chooses,)
12 It was said to her, "The older child will serve the younger one."
13 Just as it is written, "Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated."
14 What shall we say then? Is God unfair? Of course not!
15 Because He says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whomever I want to, and I will show compassion on whomever I want to."
"I make the rules."
16 So then it does not depend on human wants and works, but on God's mercy.
17 For the scripture says to Pharaoh, "I made you king in order to show My strength, and to make My Name famous throughout the whole earth."
18 So you see, God has mercy on who He wants to, and He hardens the hearts of those He wants to harden.
20 But I say, "Who are you, a mere human being, to talk back to God? Does the thing the Artist or Craftsman makes question how He has made it?"
21 Doesn't the potter have control of the clay, to make a decorative vase and a trashcan from the same piece of clay?
22 What if God, who could rightfully be angry with those made to be "trashcans," using His power to punish them, was, instead, patient with them.
23 So that He might show how rich His majesty is for the "decorative vases," which He made with compassion.
24 Even us, whom He has called, not just the Jews, but also the Gentiles?
25 As he said also in Hosea, "I will call them 'My people,' who were not My people, and 'her beloved,' who were not beloved.
26 "And it will come to pass, that in the place where it was said to them, 'You are not My people,' there will they be called 'The children of the living God.'"
27 Isaiah also cried concerning Israel, "Though the number of the children of Israel be the same as the sand of the sea, only a tiny few will be saved.
28 "For He will finish what He says, fully and without delay."
29 And as Isaiah said before, "If the Lord of Sabaoth had not spared a few of our children, we would have been like Sodoma and Gomorrha."
31 But Israel, which did try to keep the Law, has not achieved that righteousness.
32 How? Because they didn't seek that righteousness by faith, but by keeping the Law. For they tripped up on that stumblingstone;
33 Just like it is written, "Look, I lay in Zion a stumblingstone and rock of offence. Whoever believes on Him will not be ashamed."
God's Sovereign Choice
6 So, has the Word of God not had any effect, since not everyone who is descended from Jacob is part of Israel?7 Nor is everyone who is descended from Abraham called his children, since "In Isaac shall thy seed be called."
8 That is, not all those who are the physical descendants of Abraham are the children of God, but those who are from the the promise are counted as his descendants.
9 For this is the word of promise, "At this time next year will I come, and Sara will have a son."
10 And not only this, but when Rebecca also was pregnant by our father Isaac,
11 (Because before the children were born, before they had done anything good or bad, so that the plan of God according to His selection of [the Messianic line] would continue, not because of [any human's] works, but because of Him who chooses,)
12 It was said to her, "The older child will serve the younger one."
13 Just as it is written, "Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated."
14 What shall we say then? Is God unfair? Of course not!
15 Because He says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whomever I want to, and I will show compassion on whomever I want to."
"I make the rules."
16 So then it does not depend on human wants and works, but on God's mercy.
17 For the scripture says to Pharaoh, "I made you king in order to show My strength, and to make My Name famous throughout the whole earth."
18 So you see, God has mercy on who He wants to, and He hardens the hearts of those He wants to harden.
The Calling of the Gentiles
19 You will say, then, to me, "Why does He blame people for their faults? They are just doing what He has made them do."20 But I say, "Who are you, a mere human being, to talk back to God? Does the thing the Artist or Craftsman makes question how He has made it?"
21 Doesn't the potter have control of the clay, to make a decorative vase and a trashcan from the same piece of clay?
22 What if God, who could rightfully be angry with those made to be "trashcans," using His power to punish them, was, instead, patient with them.
23 So that He might show how rich His majesty is for the "decorative vases," which He made with compassion.
24 Even us, whom He has called, not just the Jews, but also the Gentiles?
25 As he said also in Hosea, "I will call them 'My people,' who were not My people, and 'her beloved,' who were not beloved.
26 "And it will come to pass, that in the place where it was said to them, 'You are not My people,' there will they be called 'The children of the living God.'"
27 Isaiah also cried concerning Israel, "Though the number of the children of Israel be the same as the sand of the sea, only a tiny few will be saved.
28 "For He will finish what He says, fully and without delay."
29 And as Isaiah said before, "If the Lord of Sabaoth had not spared a few of our children, we would have been like Sodoma and Gomorrha."
Israel's Unbelief
30 So, what does this mean? That the Gentiles, who didn't try to obey the Law, have achieved righteousness because of their faith.31 But Israel, which did try to keep the Law, has not achieved that righteousness.
32 How? Because they didn't seek that righteousness by faith, but by keeping the Law. For they tripped up on that stumblingstone;
33 Just like it is written, "Look, I lay in Zion a stumblingstone and rock of offence. Whoever believes on Him will not be ashamed."