Romans 9 Free Bible Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
FBV Free Bible Version
WEB World English Bible (Classic, with Deuterocanon)
PT1904 Patriarchal Text 1904 (accented, eBible edition)
1 I am in Christ, and what I say is true. I'm not lying! My conscience and the Holy Spirit confirm
1 I tell the truth in Christ. I am not lying, my conscience testifying with me in the Holy Spirit
1 Ἀλήθειαν λέγω ἐν Χριστῷ, οὐ ψεύδομαι, συμμαρτυρούσης μοι τῆς συνειδήσεώς μου ἐν Πνεύματι Ἁγίῳ,
2 how terribly sad I am, how I have never-ending pain in my heart,
2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart.
2 ὅτι λύπη μοί ἐστι μεγάλη καὶ ἀδιάλειπτος ὀδύνη τῇ καρδίᾳ μου.
3 for my own people, my brothers and sisters. I would rather be cursed myself, separated from Christ, if that would help them.
3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brothers’ sake, my relatives according to the flesh
3 ηὐχόμην γὰρ αὐτὸς ἐγὼ ἀνάθεμα εἶναι ἀπὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου, τῶν συγγενῶν μου κατὰ σάρκα,
4 They are my fellow-Israelites, God's chosen people. God revealed to them his glory and made agreements with them, giving them the law, true worship, and his promises.
4 who are Israelites; whose is the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service, and the promises;
4 οἵτινές εἰσιν Ἰσραηλῖται, ὧν ἡ υἱοθεσία καὶ ἡ δόξα καὶ αἱ διαθῆκαι καὶ ἡ νομοθεσία καὶ ἡ λατρεία καὶ αἱ ἐπαγγελίαι,
5 They are our forefathers—ancestors of Christ, humanly-speaking, the one who rules over everything, the eternally-blessed God. Amen.
5 of whom are the fathers, and from whom is Christ as concerning the flesh, who is over all, God, blessed forever. Amen.
5 ὧν οἱ πατέρες, καὶ ἐξ ὧν ὁ Χριστὸς τὸ κατὰ σάρκα, ὁ ὢν ἐπὶ πάντων Θεὸς εὐλογητὸς εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας· ἀμήν.
6 It's not that God's promise has failed. For not every Israelite is a true Israelite,
6 But it is not as though the word of God has come to nothing. For they are not all Israel that are of Israel.
6 Οὐχ οἷον δὲ ὅτι ἐκπέπτωκεν ὁ λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ. οὐ γὰρ πάντες οἱ ἐξ Ἰσραήλ, οὗτοι Ἰσραήλ,
7 and not all those who are descended from Abraham are his true children. For Scripture says, “Your descendants will be counted through Isaac,”
7 Neither, because they are Abraham’s offspring, are they all children. But, “your offspring will be accounted as from Isaac.”
7 οὐδ᾽ ὅτι εἰσὶ σπέρμα Ἀβραάμ, πάντες τέκνα, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν Ἰσαὰκ κληθήσεταί σοι σπέρμα·
8 so it's not Abraham's actual children who are counted as God's children, but only those children of God's promise who are considered his true descendants.
8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as heirs.
8 τοῦτ᾽ ἔστιν οὐ τὰ τέκνα τῆς σαρκὸς ταῦτα τέκνα τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ τὰ τέκνα τῆς ἐπαγγελίας λογίζεται εἰς σπέρμα.
9 This is what the promise was: “I will return next year and Sarah will have a son.”
9 For this is a word of promise: “At the appointed time I will come, and Sarah will have a son.”
9 ἐπαγγελίας γὰρ ὁ λόγος οὗτος· κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον ἐλεύσομαι καὶ ἔσται τῇ Σάρρᾳ υἱός.
10 In addition Rebecca's twin sons had the same father, our forefather Isaac.
10 Not only so, but Rebekah also conceived by one, by our father Isaac.
10 οὐ μόνον δέ, ἀλλὰ καὶ Ῥεβέκκα ἐξ ἑνὸς κοίτην ἔχουσα, Ἰσαὰκ τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν·
11 But even before the children were born, and before they'd done anything right or wrong (so that God's purpose could continue, proving God's calling of people is not based on human performance),
11 For being not yet born, neither having done anything good or bad, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him who calls,
11 μήπω γὰρ γεννηθέντων μηδὲ πραξάντων τι ἀγαθὸν ἢ κακόν, ἵνα ἡ κατ᾽ ἐκλογὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ πρόθεσις μένῃ, οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκ τοῦ καλοῦντος,
12 she was told, “The older brother will serve the younger one.”
12 it was said to her, “The elder will serve the younger.”
12 ἐρρέθη αὐτῇ ὅτι ὁ μείζων δουλεύσει τῷ ἐλάσσονι,
13 As Scripture says, “I chose Jacob, but rejected Esau.”
13 Even as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
13 καθὼς γέγραπται· τὸν Ἰακὼβ ἠγάπησα, τὸν δὲ Ἠσαῦ ἐμίσησα.
14 So what should we conclude? That God was unjust? Certainly not!
14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? May it never be!
14 Τί οὖν ἐροῦμεν; μὴ ἀδικία παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ; μὴ γένοιτο.
15 As he said to Moses, “I will be merciful to whoever I should show mercy, and I will have compassion on whoever I should show compassion.”
15 For he said to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
15 τῷ γὰρ Μωϋσῇ λέγει· ἐλεήσω ὃν ἂν ἐλεῶ, καὶ οἰκτειρήσω ὃν ἂν οἰκτείρω.
16 So it does not depend on what we want, or our own efforts, but the merciful nature of God.
16 So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who has mercy.
16 ἄρα οὖν οὐ τοῦ θέλοντος οὐδὲ τοῦ τρέχοντος, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ἐλεοῦντος Θεοῦ.
17 Scripture records God saying to Pharaoh: “I put you here for a reason—so that through you I could demonstrate my power, and so that my name could be made known throughout the earth.”
17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I caused you to be raised up, that I might show in you my power, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”
17 λέγει γὰρ ἡ γραφὴ τῷ Φαραὼ ὅτι εἰς αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἐξήγειρά σε, ὅπως ἐνδείξωμαι ἐν σοὶ τὴν δύναμίν μου, καὶ ὅπως διαγγελῇ τὸ ὄνομά μου ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ.
18 So God is merciful to those he wishes to be, and hardens the attitude of those he wants to.
18 So then, he has mercy on whom he desires, and he hardens whom he desires.
18 ἄρα οὖν ὃν θέλει ἐλεεῖ, ὃν δὲ θέλει σκληρύνει.
19 Now you'll argue with me and ask, “So why does he still blame us then? Who can resist the will of God?”
19 You will say then to me, “Why does he still find fault? For who withstands his will?”
19 Ἐρεῖς οὖν μοι· τί ἔτι μέμφεται; τῷ γὰρ βουλήματι αὐτοῦ τίς ἀνθέστηκε;
20 That's no way to speak, for who are you—a mere mortal—to contradict God? Can something that is created say to its creator, “Why did you make me like this?”
20 But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed ask him who formed it, “Why did you make me like this?”
20 μενοῦνγε, ὦ ἄνθρωπε, σὺ τίς εἶ ὁ ἀνταποκρινόμενος τῷ Θεῷ; μὴ ἐρεῖ τὸ πλάσμα τῷ πλάσαντι, τί με ἐποίησας οὕτως;
21 Doesn't a potter have the right to use the same batch of clay to make both a decorative bowl and an everyday pot?
21 Or hasn’t the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel for honor, and another for dishonor?
21 ἢ οὐκ ἔχει ἐξουσίαν ὁ κεραμεὺς τοῦ πηλοῦ, ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ φυράματος ποιῆσαι ὃ μὲν εἰς τιμὴν σκεῦος, ὃ δὲ εἰς ἀτιμίαν;
22 It's as if God, wanting to demonstrate his opposition to sin and to reveal his power, bears patiently with these “pots destined for destruction,”
22 What if God, willing to show his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,
22 εἰ δὲ θέλων ὁ Θεὸς ἐνδείξασθαι τὴν ὀργὴν καὶ γνωρίσαι τὸ δυνατὸν αὐτοῦ ἤνεγκεν ἐν πολλῇ μακροθυμίᾳ σκεύη ὀργῆς κατηρτισμένα εἰς ἀπώλειαν;
23 so that he might reveal the greatness of his glory through these “pots of mercy” which he has prepared in advance for glory.
23 and that he might make known the riches of his glory on vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory—
23 καὶ ἵνα γνωρίσῃ τὸν πλοῦτον τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ σκεύη ἐλέους, — ἃ προητοίμασεν εἰς δόξαν;
24 This is who we are—people he has called, not just from among the Jews, but from among the foreigners too...
24 us, whom he also called, not from the Jews only, but also from the Gentiles?
24 οὓς καὶ ἐκάλεσεν ἡμᾶς οὐ μόνον ἐξ Ἰουδαίων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐξ ἐθνῶν,
25 As God said in the book of Hosea, “Those who are not my people I will call my people, and those who are not loved I will call the ones I love,”
25 As he says also in Hosea, “I will call them ‘my people,’ which were not my people; and her ‘beloved,’ who was not beloved.”
25 ὡς καὶ ἐν τῷ Ὡσηὲ λέγει· καλέσω τὸν οὐ λαόν μου λαόν μου, καὶ τὴν οὐκ ἠγαπημένην ἠγαπημένην·
26 and, “It will happen that at the place where they were told, ‘You're not my people,’ there they will be called the children of the living God.”
26 “It will be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘children of the living God.’”
26 καὶ ἔσται ἐν τῷ τόπῳ οὗ ἐρρέθη αὐτοῖς, οὐ λαός μου ὑμεῖς, ἐκεῖ κληθήσονται υἱοὶ Θεοῦ ζῶντος.
27 Isaiah cries out regarding Israel: “Even if the children of Israel have become as numerous as the sands of the sea, only a small number will be saved.
27 Isaiah cries concerning Israel, “If the number of the children of Israel are as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant who will be saved;
27 Ἡσαΐας δὲ κράζει ὑπὲρ τοῦ Ἰσραήλ· ἐὰν ᾖ ὁ ἀριθμὸς τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ ὡς ἡ ἄμμος τῆς θαλάσσης, τὸ κατάλειμμα σωθήσεται·
28 For the Lord is going to quickly and completely finish his work of judgment on the earth.”
28 for he will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness, because the Lord will make a short work upon the earth.”
28 λόγον γὰρ συντελῶν καὶ συντέμνων ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ, ὅτι λόγον συντετμημένον ποιήσει Κύριος ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς.
29 As Isaiah previously said, “If the Lord Almighty had not left us some descendants, we would have become just like Sodom and Gomorrah.”
29 As Isaiah has said before, “Unless the Lord of Armies had left us a seed, we would have become like Sodom, and would have been made like Gomorrah.”
29 καὶ καθὼς προείρηκεν Ἡσαΐας, εἰ μὴ Κύριος Σαβαὼθ ἐγκατέλιπεν ἡμῖν σπέρμα, ὡς Σόδομα ἂν ἐγενήθημεν καὶ ὡς Γόμορρα ἂν ὡμοιώθημεν.
30 What shall we conclude, then? That even though the foreigners were not even looking to do right, they did grasp what is right, and through their trust in God did what was morally right.
30 What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who didn’t follow after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith;
30 Τί οὖν ἐροῦμεν; ὅτι ἔθνη τὰ μὴ διώκοντα δικαιοσύνην κατέλαβε δικαιοσύνην, δικαιοσύνην δὲ τὴν ἐκ πίστεως,
31 But the people of Israel, who looked to the law to make them right with God, never succeeded.
31 but Israel, following after a law of righteousness, didn’t arrive at the law of righteousness.
31 Ἰσραὴλ δὲ διώκων νόμον δικαιοσύνης εἰς νόμον δικαιοσύνης οὐκ ἔφθασε.
32 Why not? Because they relied on what they did rather than trusting in God. They tripped on the stumbling-block,
32 Why? Because they didn’t seek it by faith, but as it were by works of the law. They stumbled over the stumbling stone,
32 διατί; ὅτι οὐκ ἐκ πίστεως, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς ἐξ ἔργων νόμου· προσέκοψαν γὰρ τῷ λίθῳ τοῦ προσκόμματος,
33 just as Scripture predicted: “Look, I'm placing in Zion a stumbling-block, a rock that will offend people. But those who trust in him won't be disappointed.”
33 even as it is written, “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and a rock of offense; and no one who believes in him will be disappointed.”
33 καθὼς γέγραπται· ἰδοὺ τίθημι ἐν Σιὼν λίθον προσκόμματος καὶ πέτραν σκανδάλου, καὶ πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ οὐ καταισχυνθήσεται.
Cross references (33)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 1 Timothy 2:7; Romans 1:9; Galatians 1:20; 2 Corinthians 11:10; Philippians 1:8
- 2 Philippians 3:18; Romans 10:1; Jeremiah 13:17; Psalm 119:136; Lamentations 3:51
- 3 Exodus 32:32; Esther 8:6; Romans 11:14; Galatians 3:10; 1 Corinthians 16:22
- 4 Ephesians 2:12; Psalm 147:19; Genesis 17:2; Romans 9:6; Acts 2:39
- 5 John 10:30; Colossians 1:16–19; John 1:1–3; Romans 1:25; 1 John 5:20
- 6 Romans 2:28–29; Galatians 6:16; Romans 11:1–2; Romans 4:12–16; Romans 3:3
- 7 Genesis 21:12; Hebrews 11:18; John 8:37–39; Galatians 4:23; Luke 3:8
- 8 John 1:13; Romans 4:11–16; Galatians 3:26–29; Romans 8:14; Galatians 4:22–31
- 9 Genesis 18:10; Genesis 18:14; Genesis 17:21; Hebrews 11:11–12; Genesis 21:2
- 10 Genesis 25:21–23; Luke 16:26; Romans 5:11; Romans 5:3
- 11 2 Timothy 1:9; Ephesians 1:4–5; 2 Peter 1:10; Romans 8:28–30; Ephesians 1:9–11
- 12 Genesis 25:22–23
- 13 Malachi 1:2–3
- 14 2 Chronicles 19:7; Psalm 145:17; Deuteronomy 32:4; Job 34:10–12; Psalm 92:15
- 15 Exodus 33:19; Romans 9:16; Micah 7:18; Romans 9:18–19; Exodus 34:6–7
- 16 Ephesians 2:8; Philippians 2:13; Matthew 11:25–26; 1 Peter 2:9–10; Ephesians 2:4–5
- 17 Exodus 9:16; Proverbs 16:4; Exodus 14:17–18; Exodus 10:1–2; John 17:26
- 18 Joshua 11:20; Exodus 4:21; Romans 9:15–16; Romans 11:7–8; 2 Thessalonians 2:10–12
- 19 Daniel 4:35; 2 Chronicles 20:6; 1 Corinthians 15:12; 1 Corinthians 15:35; Job 9:19
- 20 Isaiah 29:16; Isaiah 45:9–11; Isaiah 64:8; Job 33:13; Job 36:23
- 21 Isaiah 64:8; 2 Timothy 2:20–21; Proverbs 16:4; Jeremiah 18:3–6; Acts 9:15
- 22 Proverbs 16:4; Jude 4; Romans 9:21; 1 Peter 2:8; 2 Timothy 2:20
- 23 Romans 2:4; Colossians 1:27; 1 Peter 1:2–5; Ephesians 2:10; Romans 5:20–21
- 24 Colossians 3:11; Hebrews 3:1; Ephesians 3:6–8; Galatians 3:28; Romans 11:11–13
- 25 Hosea 2:23; 1 Peter 2:10; Ezekiel 16:8; John 16:27; Romans 1:7
- 26 Hosea 1:9–10; 1 John 3:1–3; Isaiah 43:6; Galatians 3:26; Romans 8:16
- 27 Isaiah 10:20–23; Romans 11:4–6; Isaiah 1:9; Hosea 1:10; Jeremiah 5:10
- 28 Isaiah 10:23; Acts 17:31; Psalm 9:8; Revelation 19:11; Isaiah 30:12–14
- 29 Isaiah 1:9; Isaiah 13:19; James 5:4; Amos 4:11; Jeremiah 50:40
- 30 Philippians 3:9; Hebrews 11:7; Galatians 2:16; Romans 4:11; Galatians 5:5
- 31 Romans 11:7; Romans 3:20; James 2:10–11; Romans 10:2–4; Galatians 5:3–4
- 32 1 Corinthians 1:23; Luke 7:23; 1 Peter 2:8; Romans 11:11; Romans 4:16
- 33 Isaiah 28:16; Isaiah 8:14–15; Romans 10:11; Joel 2:26–27; 1 Peter 2:6–8
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Did I not seem yesterday to you to have spoken some great and exorbitant things of Paul's love toward Christ? And great indeed they were, too great for any words to express. Yet what you have heard to-day are as far above those things, as those things were above ours.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 11 (1889)
… saints; and discourse how it is that "this mortal body shall put on immortality, and this corruptible shall put on incorruption;" and proclaim in what sense [God] says, "That is a people who was not a people; and she is beloved who was not beloved;" and in what sense He says that "more are the children of her that was …
For it pleased Thee, O Lord, to take away the reproach of diminution from Jacob, that the elder should serve the younger; and Thou hast called the Gentiles into Thine inheritance.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
how did he "take the form of a servant?" how "was the Word made flesh?" and how saith Paul to the Romans, "Of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is God over all?" Therefore that He was of us, and of our substance, and of the Virgin's womb, is manifest from these things, and from others beside; but …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
… is "crowned with glory and honour," and "glory, honour and peace" are laid up by promise "to every man that worketh good." There is moreover a special and peculiar glory for Israelites "to whom," it is said "pertaineth the adoption and the glory...and the service," and the Psalmist speaks of a certain glory of his own, "that my glory may …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 8 (1895)