Paul grieves for his own people, Israel. He discusses God's freedom to choose, using Jacob and Esau and the picture of a potter and clay, and shows that God always meant to include the Gentiles.
1 I say the truth in Christ , I lie not , my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost ,
2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart .
3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren , my kinsmen according to the flesh :
4 Who are Israelites ; to whom pertaineth the adoption , and the glory , and the covenants , and the giving of the law , and the service of God, and the promises ;
5 Whose are the fathers , and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all , God blessed for ever . Amen .
6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect . For they are not all Israel , which are of Israel :
7 Neither , because they are the seed of Abraham , are they all children : but , In Isaac shall thy seed be called .
8 That is , They which are the children of the flesh , these are not the children of God : but the children of the promise are counted for the seed .
9 For this is the word of promise , At this time will I come , and Sara shall have a son .
10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one , even by our father Isaac ;
11 (For the children being not yet born , neither having done any good or evil , that the purpose of God according to election might stand , not of works , but of him that calleth ;)
12 It was said unto her , The elder shall serve the younger .
13 As it is written , Jacob have I loved , but Esau have I hated .
14 What shall we say then ? Is there unrighteousness with God ? God forbid .
15 For he saith to Moses , I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy , and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion .
16 So then it is not of him that willeth , nor of him that runneth , but of God that sheweth mercy .
17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh , Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up , that I might shew my power in thee , and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth .
18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth .
19 Thou wilt say then unto me , Why doth he yet find fault ? For who hath resisted his will ?
20 Nay but , O man , who art thou that repliest against God ? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus ?
21 Hath not the potter power over the clay , of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour , and another unto dishonour ?
22 What if God , willing to shew his wrath , and to make his power known , endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction :
23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy , which he had afore prepared unto glory ,
24 Even us , whom he hath called , not of the Jews only , but also of the Gentiles ?
25 As he saith also in Osee , I will call them my people , which were not my people ; and her beloved , which was not beloved .
26 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 .
27 Esaias also crieth concerning Israel , Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea , a remnant shall be saved :
28 For he will finish the work , and cut it short in righteousness : because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth .
29 And as Esaias said before , Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed , we had been as Sodoma , and been made like unto Gomorrha .
30 What shall we say then ? That the Gentiles , which followed not after righteousness , have attained to righteousness , even the righteousness which is of faith .
31 But Israel , which followed after the law of righteousness , hath not attained to the law of righteousness .
32 Wherefore ? Because they sought it not by faith , but as it were by the works of the law . For they stumbled at that stumblingstone ;
33 As it is written , Behold , I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence : and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed .