Romans 9:1-13
God’s Sovereign Choice
aI am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For aI could wish that I myself were baccursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen caccording to the flesh. 4 They are aIsraelites, and to them belong bthe adoption, cthe glory, dthe covenants, ethe giving of the law, fthe worship, and gthe promises. 5 To them belong athe patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, bwho is God over all, cblessed forever. Amen.
6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, 7 and not all are children of Abraham abecause they are his offspring, but b“Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 8 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but athe children of the promise are counted as offspring. 9 For this is what the promise said: a“About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.” 10 And not only so, but aalso when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, 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 ahim who calls— 12 she was told, a“The older will serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, a“Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway,
a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.