Romans 9:1-13 (NIV84)

Romans 9

God’s Sovereign Choice

¹I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit— ²I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. ³For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, ⁴the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. ⁵Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised!^[a]Amen.

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

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

Footnotes:

1. Romans 9:5 Or Christ, who is over all. God be forever praised! Or Christ. God who is over all be forever praised!
2. Romans 9:7 Gen. 21:12
3. Romans 9:9 Gen. 18:10,14
4. Romans 9:12 Gen. 25:23
5. Romans 9:13 Mal. 1:2,3