Romans 9:5-15

5 they are descended from the famous Hebrew ancestors; and Christ, as a human being, belongs to their race. May God, who rules over all, be praised forever! Amen.
6 I am not saying that the promise of God has failed; for not all the people of Israel are the people of God.
7 Nor are all of Abraham's descendants the children of God. God said to Abraham, "It is through Isaac that you will have the descendants I promised you." 1
8 This means that the children born in the usual way are not the children of God; instead, the children born as a result of God's promise are regarded as the true descendants.
9 For God's promise was made in these words: "At the right time I will come back, and Sarah will have a son." 2
10 And this is not all. For Rebecca's two sons had the same father, our ancestor Isaac.
11 But in order that the choice of one son might be completely the result of God's own purpose, God said to her, "The older will serve the younger." He said this before they were born, before they had done anything either good or bad; so God's choice was based on his call, and not on anything they had done. 3
13 As the scripture says, "I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau." 4
14 Shall we say, then, that God is unjust? Not at all.
15 For he said to Moses, "I will have mercy on anyone I wish; I will take pity on anyone I wish." 5

Cross References 5

  • 1. 9.7Genesis 21.12.
  • 2. 9.9Genesis 18.10.
  • 3. 9.12Genesis 25.23.
  • 4. 9.13Malachi 1.2, 3.
  • 5. 9.15Exodus 33.19.

Footnotes 3

  • [a]. May God, who rules over all, be praised forever!; [or] And may he, who is God ruling over all, be praised forever!
  • [b]. children born in the usual way: [This refers to the descendants Abraham had through Ishmael, his son by Hagar (see Ga 4.22-23).]
  • [c]. At the right time; [or] At this time next year.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.