Romans 9:16-16:27

English Standard Version

¹⁶ So then it depends not on human will or exertion,^[a] but on God, who has mercy. ¹⁷ For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, ^(A)“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.” ¹⁸ So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

¹⁹ You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For ^(B)who can resist his will?” ²⁰ But who are you, O man, ^(C)to answer back to God? ^(D)Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” ^21 (E)Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump ^(F)one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? ²² What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience ^(G)vessels of wrath ^(H)prepared for destruction, ²³ in order to make known ^(I)the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he ^(J)has prepared beforehand for glory— ²⁴ even us whom he ^(K)has called, ^(L)not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? ²⁵ As indeed he says in Hosea,

²⁷ And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: ^(P)“Though the number of the sons of Israel^[b] be as the sand of the sea, ^(Q)only a remnant of them will be saved, ²⁸ for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay.” ²⁹ And as Isaiah predicted,

Israel's Unbelief

³⁰ What shall we say, then? ^(U)That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, ^(V)a righteousness that is by faith; ³¹ but that Israel ^(W)who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness^{[c] (X)}did not succeed in reaching that law. ³² Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the ^(Y)stumbling stone, ³³ as it is written,

10 Brothers,^[d] my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. ² For I bear them witness that ^(AD)they have a zeal for God, ^(AE)but not according to knowledge. ³ For, being ignorant of ^(AF)the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. ⁴ For ^(AG)Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.^[e]

The Message of Salvation to All

⁵ For ^(AH)Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that ^(AI)the person who does the commandments shall live by them. ⁶ But ^(AJ)the righteousness based on faith says, ^(AK)“Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) ⁷ “or ‘Who will descend into the ^(AL)abyss?’” (that is, ^(AM)to bring Christ up from the dead). ⁸ But what does it say? ^(AN)“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); ⁹ because, if ^(AO)you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and ^(AP)believe in your heart ^(AQ)that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. ¹¹ For the Scripture says, ^(AR)“Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” ^12 (AS)For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; ^(AT)for the same Lord is Lord of all, ^(AU)bestowing his riches on all who call on him. ¹³ For ^(AV)“everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

¹⁴ How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him ^(AW)of whom they have never heard?^[f] And how are they to hear ^(AX)without someone preaching? ¹⁵ And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ^(AY)“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” ¹⁶ But ^(AZ)they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, ^(BA)“Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” ¹⁷ So ^(BB)faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

¹⁸ But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for

¹⁹ But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says,

²⁰ Then Isaiah is so bold as to say,

²¹ But of Israel he says, ^(BI)“All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”

The Remnant of Israel

11 I ask, then, ^(BJ)has God rejected his people? By no means! For ^(BK)I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham,^[g] a member of the tribe of Benjamin. ^2 (BL)God has not rejected his people whom he ^(BM)foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? ^3 (BN)“Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.” ⁴ But what is God's reply to him? ^(BO)“I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” ⁵ So too at the present time there is ^(BP)a remnant, chosen by grace. ^6 (BQ)But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.

⁷ What then? ^(BR)Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest ^(BS)were hardened, ⁸ as it is written,

⁹ And David says,

Gentiles Grafted In

¹¹ So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass ^(BW)salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. ¹² Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion^[h] mean!

¹³ Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as ^(BX)I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry ¹⁴ in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and ^(BY)thus save some of them. ¹⁵ For if their rejection means ^(BZ)the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? ^16 (CA)If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

¹⁷ But if ^(CB)some of the branches were broken off, and you, ^(CC)although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root^[i] of the olive tree, ¹⁸ do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. ¹⁹ Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” ²⁰ That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you ^(CD)stand fast through faith. So ^(CE)do not become proud, but ^(CF)fear. ²¹ For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. ²² Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, ^(CG)provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise ^(CH)you too will be cut off. ²³ And ^(CI)even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. ²⁴ For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.

The Mystery of Israel's Salvation

^25 (CJ)Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers:^{[j] (CK)}a partial hardening has come upon Israel, ^(CL)until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. ²⁶ And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,

²⁸ As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are ^(CQ)beloved for the sake of their forefathers. ²⁹ For the gifts and ^(CR)the calling of God are irrevocable. ³⁰ For just as ^(CS)you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, ³¹ so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now^[k] receive mercy. ³² For God ^(CT)has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.

³³ Oh, the depth of the riches and ^(CU)wisdom and knowledge of God! ^(CV)How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

³⁶ For ^(CZ)from him and through him and to him are all things. ^(DA)To him be glory forever. Amen.

A Living Sacrifice

12 ^(DB)I appeal to you therefore, brothers,^[l] by the mercies of God, ^(DC)to present your bodies ^(DD)as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.^{[m] 2 (DE)}Do not be conformed to this world,^[n] but be transformed by ^(DF)the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may ^(DG)discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.^[o]

Gifts of Grace

³ For ^(DH)by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you ^(DI)not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, ^(DJ)each according to ^(DK)the measure of faith that God has assigned. ⁴ For ^(DL)as in one body we have many members,^[p] and the members do not all have the same function, ⁵ so we, ^(DM)though many, ^(DN)are one body in Christ, and individually ^(DO)members one of another. ^6 (DP)Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if ^(DQ)prophecy, ^(DR)in proportion to our faith; ⁷ if ^(DS)service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; ⁸ the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; ^(DT)the one who leads,^[q] with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with ^(DU)cheerfulness.

Marks of the True Christian

^9 (DV)Let love be genuine. ^(DW)Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. ^10 (DX)Love one another with brotherly affection. ^(DY)Outdo one another in showing honor. ¹¹ Do not be slothful in zeal, ^(DZ)be fervent in spirit,^{[r] (EA)}serve the Lord. ^12 (EB)Rejoice in hope, ^(EC)be patient in tribulation, ^(ED)be constant in prayer. ^13 (EE)Contribute to the needs of the saints and ^(EF)seek to show hospitality.

^14 (EG)Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. ^15 (EH)Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. ^16 (EI)Live in harmony with one another. ^(EJ)Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.^{[s] (EK)}Never be wise in your own sight. ^17 (EL)Repay no one evil for evil, but ^(EM)give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. ¹⁸ If possible, so far as it depends on you, ^(EN)live peaceably with all. ¹⁹ Beloved, ^(EO)never avenge yourselves, but leave it^[t] to the wrath of God, for it is written, ^(EP)“Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” ²⁰ To the contrary, ^(EQ)“if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” ²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Submission to the Authorities

13 Let every person ^(ER)be subject to the governing authorities. For ^(ES)there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. ² Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. ³ For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you ^(ET)will receive his approval, ⁴ for ^(EU)he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, ^(EV)an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. ⁵ Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also ^(EW)for the sake of conscience. ⁶ For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. ^7 (EX)Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

Fulfilling the Law Through Love

^8 (EY)Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for ^(EZ)the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. ⁹ For the commandments, ^(FA)“You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: ^(FB)“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁰ Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore ^(FC)love is the fulfilling of the law.

¹¹ Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you ^(FD)to wake from sleep. ^(FE)For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. ^12 (FF)The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us ^(FG)cast off ^(FH)the works of darkness and ^(FI)put on the armor of light. ^13 (FJ)Let us walk properly as in the daytime, ^(FK)not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, ^(FL)not in quarreling and jealousy. ¹⁴ But ^(FM)put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, ^(FN)to gratify its desires.

Do Not Pass Judgment on One Another

14 As for ^(FO)the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. ^2 (FP)One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. ³ Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and ^(FQ)let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. ^4 (FR)Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master^[u] that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

^5 (FS)One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. ^(FT)Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. ⁶ The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since ^(FU)he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. ⁷ For ^(FV)none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. ⁸ For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, ^(FW)whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. ⁹ For to this end Christ ^(FX)died and lived again, that he might be Lord both ^(FY)of the dead and of the living.

¹⁰ Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For ^(FZ)we will all stand before ^(GA)the judgment seat of God; ¹¹ for it is written,

¹² So then ^(GC)each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Do Not Cause Another to Stumble

^13 (GD)Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide ^(GE)never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. ¹⁴ I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus ^(GF)that nothing is unclean in itself, ^(GG)but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. ¹⁵ For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, ^(GH)you are no longer walking in love. ^(GI)By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. ^16 (GJ)So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. ^17 (GK)For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but ^(GL)of righteousness and ^(GM)peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸ Whoever thus serves Christ is ^(GN)acceptable to God and approved by men. ¹⁹ So then let us ^(GO)pursue what makes for peace and for ^(GP)mutual upbuilding.

^20 (GQ)Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. ^(GR)Everything is indeed clean, but ^(GS)it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. ^21 (GT)It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.^{[w] 22} The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. ^(GU)Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. ²³ But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.^[x]

The Example of Christ

15 ^(GV)We who are strong ^(GW)have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. ^2 (GX)Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. ³ For ^(GY)Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, ^(GZ)“The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” ⁴ For ^(HA)whatever was written in former days was written for our ^(HB)instruction, that through endurance and through ^(HC)the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. ⁵ May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you ^(HD)to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, ⁶ that together you may with one voice glorify ^(HE)the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁷ Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles

⁸ For I tell you that Christ ^(HF)became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order ^(HG)to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, ⁹ and in order ^(HH)that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,

¹⁰ And again it is said,

¹¹ And again,

¹² And again Isaiah says,

¹³ May the God of hope fill you with all ^(HO)joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Paul the Minister to the Gentiles

^14 (HP)I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers,^[y] that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with ^(HQ)all knowledge and able to instruct one another. ¹⁵ But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, ^(HR)because of the grace given me by God ¹⁶ to be ^(HS)a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles ^(HT)in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that ^(HU)the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. ¹⁷ In Christ Jesus, then, I have ^(HV)reason to be proud of ^(HW)my work for God. ¹⁸ For I will not venture to speak of anything except ^(HX)what Christ has accomplished through me ^(HY)to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, ^19 (HZ)by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that ^(IA)from Jerusalem and all the way around ^(IB)to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; ²⁰ and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, ^(IC)lest I build on someone else's foundation, ²¹ but as it is written,

Paul's Plan to Visit Rome

²² This is the reason why ^(IE)I have so often been hindered from coming to you. ²³ But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and ^(IF)since I have longed for many years to come to you, ²⁴ I hope to see you in passing as I go ^(IG)to Spain, and ^(IH)to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. ²⁵ At present, however, ^(II)I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. ²⁶ For ^(IJ)Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. ²⁷ For they were pleased to do it, and indeed ^(IK)they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. ²⁸ When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected,^[z] I will leave ^(IL)for Spain by way of you. ²⁹ I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing^[aa] of Christ.

³⁰ I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by ^(IM)the love of the Spirit, ^(IN)to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, ^31 (IO)that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that ^(IP)my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, ³² so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and ^(IQ)be refreshed in your company. ³³ May ^(IR)the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

Personal Greetings

16 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant^[ab] of the church at ^(IS)Cenchreae, ² that you ^(IT)may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well.

³ Greet ^(IU)Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, ⁴ who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. ⁵ Greet also ^(IV)the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was ^(IW)the first convert^[ac] to Christ in Asia. ⁶ Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. ⁷ Greet Andronicus and Junia,^[ad] my kinsmen and my ^(IX)fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles,^[ae] and they were in Christ before me. ⁸ Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. ⁹ Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. ¹⁰ Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those ^(IY)who belong to the family of Aristobulus. ¹¹ Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. ¹² Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. ¹³ Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. ¹⁴ Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers^[af] who are with them. ¹⁵ Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. ^16 (IZ)Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.

Final Instructions and Greetings

¹⁷ I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles ^(JA)contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; ^(JB)avoid them. ¹⁸ For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but ^(JC)their own appetites,^[ag] and ^(JD)by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. ¹⁹ For ^(JE)your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you ^(JF)to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. ^20 (JG)The God of peace ^(JH)will soon crush Satan under your feet. ^(JI)The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

^21 (JJ)Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen.

²² I Tertius, ^(JK)who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord.

^23 (JL)Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you.^[ah]

Doxology

^25 (JM)Now to him who is able to strengthen you ^(JN)according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, ^(JO)according to the revelation of the mystery ^(JP)that was kept secret for ^(JQ)long ages ²⁶ but ^(JR)has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, ^(JS)to bring about the obedience of faith— ²⁷ to ^(JT)the only wise God ^(JU)be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.