'I am speaking2the truth1in3Christ4—I am6not5lying;6my11conscience10bears7me8witness7in12theHoly14Spirit —13 that1I3have4great5sorrow2and6unceasing7anguish8in10my11heart.10 For2I could wish1thatI6myself5were4accursed3and[cut] off from7Christ9for the sake of10my13brothers,12my16kinsmen15according to17the flesh.18 They1are2Israelites,3andto them [belong]4the5adoption,6the8glory,9the11covenants,12the14giving of the law,15the17worship,18and19the20promises.21 To them [belong]1the2patriarchs,3and4from5their [race],6according to10the flesh,11isthe7Christ,8who is13God16over14all,15blessed17forever.181920Amen.21 But3it2isnot1as though4the6word7of God9has failed.5For11not10all12who13are descendedfrom14Israel15belong toIsrael,17 and not1all6arechildren7of Abraham5because2they are3hisoffspring,4but8“Through9Isaac10shall11your12offspring13be named.”11 This [means that]1it is2not3the4children5of the6flesh7who8arethe children9of God,11but12the13children14of the15promise16are counted17as18offspring.19 For2this5is what thepromise1said:4“About6this9time8next yearI will return,10and11Sarah14shall have12a son.”15 And3not1only2so,but4also5when10Rebekah6had10conceived children9by7one [man],8our14forefather13Isaac,11 though2they were3not yet1born3and4had done5nothing6eithergood7or8bad9—in order that10God’s16purpose14of12election13might continue,17not because of works but because of him who calls — not1because of2works3but4because of5him6who calls —7she9was told,8“The11older12will serve13the14younger.”15 As1it is written,2“Jacob4I loved,5but7Esau8I hated.”9 What1shall we say3then?2Is thereinjustice5on6God’s8part?6By no means!910 For3he says4to Moses,2“I will have mercy5on whom6I have mercy,8and9I will have compassion10on whom11I have compassion.”13 So then12it dependsnot3onhuman will5or6exertion,8but9onGod,12who has mercy.11 For2the3Scripture4says1to Pharaoh,6“For8this10very [purpose]9I have raised11you12up,11that13I might show14my19power18in15you,16and20that21my25name24might be proclaimed22in26all27the28earth.”29 So1then2he has mercy5on whomever3he wills,4and7he hardens9whomever6he wills.8 You will say1to me2then,3“Why4doeshe7still6find fault?7For9who12can resist13his11will?”10 But3who5are6you,4O1man,2to answer back8to God?10Will12what is molded1314say12to itsmolder,16“Why17have you made19me18like this?”20 Has3the5potter6no2right4overthe7clay,8to make13out of9the10same11lump12one14vessel18for16honorable17useand20another19for21dishonorable22use? What2if1God,5desiring3to show6hiswrath8and9to make known10his13power,12has endured14with15much16patience17vessels18of wrath19prepared20for21destruction,22 in order to2make known3the4riches5of7his8glory7for9vessels10of mercy,11which12he has prepared beforehand13for14glory —15 even2us4whom1he has called,3not5from7the Jews8only6but9also10from11the Gentiles?12 As1indeed2he says6in3Hosea,5“Those8who werenot9my11people10I will call7‘my13people,’12and14her15who was17not16beloved17I will call‘beloved.’”18 “And1in3the [very]4place5where6it was said7to them,8‘You12arenot9my11people,’10there13they will be called14‘sons15of the16living17God.’”16 And2Isaiah1cries out3concerning4Israel:6“Though7the9number10of the11sons12of Israel13be8as14the15sand16of the17sea,18onlya19remnant20of themwill be saved,21 for2the Lord7will carry out6hissentence1upon8the9earth10fully3and4[without delay].”5 And1as2Isaiah4predicted,3“If5the Lord7of hosts8had9not6left9us10offspring,11we would have been15like12Sodom13and16become like20Gomorrah.”18 What1shall we say,3then?2That4Gentiles5who did8not7pursue8righteousness9have attained10[it],11that is,13a righteousness12that14isby15faith;16 but2thatIsrael1who pursued3a law4that would lead torighteousness5did9not8[succeed in] reaching9that6law.7 Why?12Because3they didnot4pursue itby5faith,6but7as8if it were[based] on9works.10They have stumbled11over the12stumbling15stone,13 as1it is written,2“Behold,3I am laying4in5Zion6a stone7of stumbling,8and9a rock10of offense;11and12whoever13believes14in15him16will18not17be put to shame.”18