That is - not the children of the flesh, the same are children of God; but, the children of the promise, are reckoned as a seed.

For the word of promise is this, At that time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son.

And not only that, but also Rebekah received a promise when she became pregnant by one man, our ancestor Isaac.

They, in fact, not being yet born, nor having practised anything good or bad, - in order that the purpose of God by way of election might stand, - not by works but by him that was calling,

For even before the twins were born, and therefore had not done anything good or bad, Rebecca was told [Gen. 25:23], "The older one [i.e., Esau] will serve the younger one [i.e., Jacob]." This was so that God's purpose of choosing and calling [whomever He wanted to] might prevail, instead of [it depending on] what a person did.

What are we then to conclude? It is not that there is injustice in God, is it? Of course not!

For He says to Moses, "I will have mercy on any man that I choose to have mercy on, and take pity on any man that I choose to take pity on."

Hence, then, it is nor of him that wisheth nor of him that runneth, but of the mercy-shewing God.

For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh - Unto this end, have I raised thee up, that I may thus shew in thee my power, and that I may declare my name in all the earth.

So He has mercy on any man that He chooses to, and He hardens any man that He chooses to harden.

O man! Who, nevertheless, art, thou, that art answering again unto God? Shall the thing formed say unto him that formed it - Why didst thou make me thus?

Or does the potter not have authority over the clay, to make from the same lump a vessel that [is] for {honorable use} and [one] that [is] for {ordinary use}?

if the divine Being has patiently bore with those objects of his displeasure, that had been working out their own destruction, why may he not reveal himself to make them feel his vindictive power,

In order that he might make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy which he prepared beforehand for glory, -

that is to say, us which he called, not of the Jews only, but also of the gentiles.

As he saith also in Hosea, I will call that my people, which was not my people; And her beloved, that was not beloved.

And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.

And Isaiah crieth concerning Israel, If the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that shall be saved:

Since he is completing and finishing quickly a matter in righteousness, because a matter that has been cut short upon the earth, Lord will perform.

Even as Isaiah says in an earlier place, "Were it not that the Lord, the God of Hosts, had left us some few descendants, we should have become like Sodom, and have come to resemble Gomorrah."

What, then, shall we say? That, they of the nations, who were not in pursuit of righteousness, have laid hold of righteousness, - a righteousness, however, which is by faith;

but Israel, following after a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law.

Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;

Even as it is written - Lo! I lay in Zion, a stone to strike against and a rock to stumble over, and, he that resteth faith thereupon, shall not be put to shame.

Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.

For I bear them witness that they have, a zeal for God, - but not according to correct knowledge;

because being ignorant of the justice which is of God, and going about to establish a justification of their own, they have not submitted themselves to that which is of God.

For Christ is an end of law, for righteousness, unto every one that believeth.

For, Moses, writeth that - as touching the righteousness that is by law, The man that hath done it , shall live thereby;

Whereas, the righteousness by faith, thus speaketh - Do not say in thy heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? That is, to bring, Christ, down,

Or, Who shall descend into the abyss? That is, to bring up, Christ, from among the dead;

But what saith it? Near thee, is the declaration, In thy mouth and in thy heart, - that is, the declaration of the faith, which we proclaim: -

That, if thou shalt confess the declaration with thy mouth - That Jesus is, Lord, and shalt believe with thy hear - That, God, raised him from among the dead, thou shalt be saved; -

For in their hearts people exercise the faith that leads to right standing, and with their lips they make the acknowledgment which means salvation.

For the scripture saith - No one that resteth faith thereupon, shall be put to shame?

For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

For every one that calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

And how shall they proclaim, except they be sent? Even as it is written - How beautiful the feet of them that bring glad tidings of good things!

But not everyone [of the Israelites] obeyed [that] good news. For Isaiah said [Isa. 53:1], "Lord, who has believed our message?"

Hence, our faith, cometh by something heard, and, that which is heard, through a declaration of Christ.

But I ask 'Is it possible that men have never heard?' No, indeed, for--'Their voices spread through all the earth, and their Message to the very ends of the world.'

But I ask, “Did Israel not understand?” First, Moses said:

I will make you jealous
of those who are not a nation;
I will make you angry by a nation
that lacks understanding.

But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.

And against Israel he saith, "All day long have I stretched forth my hands unto a people that believeth not, but speaketh against me."

"Lord, they have put Thy Prophets to death, and have overthrown Thy altars; and, now that I alone remain, they are thirsting for my blood"?

But if it is by His unmerited favor, it is not at all conditioned on what they have done. If that were so, His favor would not be favor at all.

What then? That which Israel seeketh after, the same, it hath not obtained: - the election, however, have obtained it, and, the rest, have been hardened; -

as it is written:

God gave them a spirit of insensitivity,
eyes that cannot see
and ears that cannot hear,
to this day.

Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.

I say then - Did they stumble in order that they might fall? Far be it! But, by their fall, salvation hath come unto the nations, to the end of provoking them to jealousy.

Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. In view of the fact that I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,

if by any means I may provoke to jealousy them that are my flesh, and may save some of them.

For if their rejection [by God] meant that [the rest of] the world could be restored to favor [with God], what would [God's] receiving the Jews back into fellowship be, except like dead people coming back to life?

Supposing that some of the branches have been broken off, and you, although you were but a wild olive, have been grafted in among the branches and have become a partaker with them of the fatness of the olive tree, do not glory over the branches;

Be not boasting over the branches! Howbeit, if thou boast, it is not, thou, that bearest the root, but the root, thee!

Thou wilt say, then - Branches were broken out in order that, I, might he grafted in.

Very well, but it was for lack of faith that they were broken off, and it is through your faith that you now stand where you are. Stop your haughty thinking, rather continue to be reverent,

seeing that God spared not the natural branches, lest haply he also spare not thee.

Behold then the goodness and severity of God: toward them that fell, severity; but toward thee, God's goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

For if thou wast cut out of that which is by nature a wild olive tree, and wast grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree; how much more shall these, which are the natural branches , be grafted into their own olive tree?

For I wish not, ye should be ignorant, brethren, of this sacred secret, lest within yourselves ye be presumptuous, that, a hardening in part, hath befallen Israel, until, the full measure of the nations, shall come in;

And so all Israel shall be saved. As it is written, "There shall come out of Zion he that doth deliver, and shall turn away the ungodliness of Jacob.

for this is my covenant with them, that I shall take away their sins."

For verily the gifts and calling of God are such, that it cannot repent him of them.

So, these also, have now refused to yield, by your own mercy, in order that, themselves also, should now become objects of mercy;

For God hath shut up all together, in a refusal to yield, in order that, upon all, he may bestow mercy.

Other who hath given unto him first, that he might be recompensed again?

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;

Or ministering, use it in our ministering, or he that teacheth, let him use his gift in his teaching,

Or he that exhorteth, in his exhorting, he that imparteth, let it be with liberality, he that taketh a lead, with diligence, he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

Your love, be without hypocrisy, - loathing that which is wicked, cleaving to that which is good;

Let not that business which ye have in hand be tedious to you. Be fervent in the spirit. Apply yourselves to the time.

Bless them that persecute, bless, and do not curse.

Rejoice with them that rejoice, weep with them that weep:

Be of the same mind one toward another. Set not your mind on high things, but condescend to things that are lowly. Be not wise in your own conceits.

Stop returning evil for evil to anyone. Always see to it that your affairs are right in the sight of everybody.

be at peace with all men, if possible, so far as that depends on you.

dear brethren, avenge not yourselves, but leave that to the resentment of another: for it is written, "vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord."

But [Prov. 25:21-25 says], "Feed your enemy if he is hungry; give him something to drink if he is thirsty. For when you do this, it will be [like] heaping burning coals on his head." [i.e., it can cause him burning shame that can lead to his repentance and ultimate forgiveness].

Let, every soul, unto protecting authorities be in subjection; for there is no authority save by God, and, they that are in being, have by God been arranged, -

So that, he who rangeth himself against the authority, against the arrangement of God opposeth himself, and, they who oppose, shall unto themselves a sentence of judgment receive.

For, they who bear rule, are not a terror unto the good work but unto the evil. Wouldst thou not be afraid of the authority? That which is good, be thou doing, and thou shall have praise of the same;

For, God's minister, is he unto thee for that which is good. But, if, that which is evil, thou be doing, be afraid! For, not in vain, the sword he beareth; for, God's minister, he is, - an avenger, unto anger, to him who practiseth what is evil.

But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for it is not without reason that they bear the sword. Indeed, they are God's servants to administer punishment to anyone who does wrong. Therefore, it is necessary for you to be acquiescent to the authorities, not only for the sake of God's punishment, but also for the sake of your own conscience.

Pay them all their respective dues, tribute to one, taxes to another, respect to this man, honour to that.

Nothing to any, be owing - save to be loving one another; for, he that loveth his neighbour, hath given to, law, its fulfillment.

Love never does anything that is harmful to its neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the Law.

See then that the time has come for you to be awake from sleep: for now is your salvation nearer than when you first had faith.

Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and put a stop to gratifying the evil desires that lurk in your lower nature.

Him that is weak in his faith, receive ye, - not for disputing opinions: -

One, indeed, hath faith to eat all things, whereas, he that is weak, eateth herbs:

Let not, him that eateth, despise him that eateth not, and let not, him that eateth not, judge him that eateth; for, God, hath received him.

Who are you to make yourself a judge of another man's servant? it is to his master that he is responsible for good or bad. Yes, his place will be safe, because the Lord is able to keep him from falling.

This man puts one day before another: to that man they are the same. Let every man be certain in his mind.

He that regardeth the day, unto the Lord, regardeth it, - and, he that eateth, unto the Lord, doth eat, for he giveth thanks unto God; and, he that eateth not, unto the Lord, doth not eat and give God thanks.

And for this purpose Christ went into death and came back again, that he might be the Lord of the dead and of the living.

For it is written, I live, saith the Lord, that to me shall bow every knee, and every tongue shall confess to God.