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New International Version (NIV) |
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1 I am speaking the truth in Christ--I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit--
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1 I speak the truth in Christ--I am not lying, my conscience confirms it in the Holy Spirit--
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2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.
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2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.
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3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.
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3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race,
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4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises.
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4 the 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.
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5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.
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5 Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.
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6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel,
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6 It is not as though God's word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.
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7 and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but "Through Isaac shall your offspring be named."
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7 Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham's children. On the contrary, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned."
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8 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.
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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.
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9 For this is what the promise said: "About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son."
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9 For this was how the promise was stated: "At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son."
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10 And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac,
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10 Not only that, but Rebekah's children had one and the same father, our father Isaac.
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11 though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad--in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls--
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11 Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad--in order that God's purpose in election might stand:
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12 she was told, "The older will serve the younger."
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12 not by works but by him who calls--she was told, "The older will serve the younger."
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13 As it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."
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13 Just as it is written: "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."
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14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means!
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14 What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all!
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15 For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."
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15 For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."
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16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.
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16 It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy.
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17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."
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17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."
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18 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.
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18 Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.
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19 You will say to me then, "Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?"
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19 One of you will say to me: "Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?"
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20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, "Why have you made me like this?"
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20 But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?' "
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21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?
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21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?
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22 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction,
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22 What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath--prepared for destruction?
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23 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory--
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23 What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory--
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24 even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?
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24 even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?
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25 As indeed he says in Hosea, "Those who were not my people I will call 'my people,' and her who was not beloved I will call 'beloved.'"
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25 As he says in Hosea: "I will call them 'my people' who are not my people; and I will call her 'my loved one' who is not my loved one,"
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26 "And in the very place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' there they will be called 'sons of the living God.'"
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26 and, "It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' they will be called 'sons of the living God.' "
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27 And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: "Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved,
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27 Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: "Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved.
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28 for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay."
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28 For the Lord will carry out his sentence on earth with speed and finality."
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29 And as Isaiah predicted, "If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring, we would have been like Sodom and become like Gomorrah."
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29 It is just as Isaiah said previously: "Unless the Lord Almighty had left us descendants, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah."
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30 What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith;
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30 What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;
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31 but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousnessdid not succeed in reaching that law.
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31 but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it.
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32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone,
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32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the "stumbling stone."
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33 as it is written, "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame."
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33 As it is written: "See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."
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| The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers. (English Standard Version - The Holy Bible Online) |
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide. (New International Version Bible Online) |
