I say the
truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also
bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,
02 That I have great heaviness and continual
sorrow in my heart.
03 For I could wish that myself were accursed
from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according
to the flesh:
04 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;
05 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as
concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over
all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
06 Not as though the word of God hath taken none
effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of
Israel:
07 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham,
are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy
seed be called.
08 That is, They which are the children of the
flesh, these are not the children of God: but the
children of the promise are counted for the seed.
09 For this is the word of promise, At this time
will I come, and Sarah shall have a son.
10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had
conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
11 (For the children being not yet born, neither
having done any good or evil, that the purpose of
God according to election might stand, not of
works, but of him that calleth;)
12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve
the younger.
13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau
have I hated.
14 What shall we say then? Is there
unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on
whom I will have mercy, and I will have
compassion on whom I will have compassion.
16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of
him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for
this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I
might shew my power in thee, and that my name
might be declared throughout all the earth.
18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have
mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
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19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet
find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest
against God? Shall the thing formed say to him
that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of
the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and
another unto dishonour?
22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to
make his power known, endured with much
longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to
destruction:
23 And that he might make known the riches of his
glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore
prepared unto glory,
24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews
only, but also of the Gentiles?
25 As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my
people, which were not my people; and her
beloved, which was not beloved.
26 And it shall come to pass, that in the place
where it was said unto them, Ye are not my
people; there shall they be called the children
of the living God.
27 Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though
the number of the children of Israel be as the
sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:
28 For he will finish the work, and cut it short
in righteousness: because a short work will the
Lord make upon the earth.
29 And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of
Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as
Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.
30 What shall we say then? That the Gentiles,
which followed not after righteousness, have
attained to righteousness, even the righteousness
which is of faith.
31 But Israel, which followed after the law of
righteousness, hath not attained to the law of
righteousness.
32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by
faith, but as it were by the works of the law.
For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;
33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a
stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever
believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
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