11I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my consciencetestifies with me in the HolySpirit,
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that I have greatsorrow and unceasinggrief in my heart.
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For 2I could wish that I myself were 3accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen4according to the flesh,
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who are 5Israelites, to whom belongs 6the adoption as sons, and 7the glory and 8the covenants and 9the giving of the Law and 10the temple service and 11the promises,
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whose are 12the fathers, and 13from whom is the Christaccording to the flesh, 14who is overall, 15God16blessedforever. Amen.
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But it is not as though17the word of God has failed. 18For they are not allIsraelwho are descended from Israel;
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nor are they allchildren19because they are Abraham'sdescendants, but: "20THROUGHISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE NAMED."
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That is, it is not the children of the fleshwho are 21children of God, but the 22children of the promise are regarded as descendants.
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For this is the word of promise: "23AT THISTIME I WILL COME, AND SARAH SHALL HAVE A SON."
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24And not only this, but there was 25Rebekahalso, when she had conceived* twins by oneman, our fatherIsaac;
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for though the twins were not yetborn and had not doneanythinggoodorbad, so that 26God'spurposeaccording to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls,
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it was said to her, "27THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER."
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Just as it is written, "28JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED."
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29What shall we saythen? 30There is noinjustice with God, is there? 31May it never be!
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For He says to Moses, "32I WILL HAVEMERCY ON WHOM I HAVEMERCY, AND I WILL HAVECOMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVECOMPASSION."
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Sothen it does not depend on the man who willsor the man who 33runs, but on 34God who hasmercy.
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For the Scripturesays to Pharaoh, "35FOR THISVERY PURPOSE I RAISED YOU UP, TO DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU, AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMEDTHROUGHOUT THE WHOLEEARTH."
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Sothen He hasmercy on whom He desires, and He 36hardenswhom He desires.
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37You will say to me then, "38Why does He stillfindfault? For 39whoresists His will?"
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On the contrary, who are you, 40Oman, who 41answersback to God? 42The thingmolded will not say to the molder, "Why did you make me likethis," will it?
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Or does not the potterhave a right over the clay, to make from the samelumponevessel for honorableuse and another* for commonuse?
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WhatifGod, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His powerknown, endured with much43patiencevessels of wrath44prepared for destruction?
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And He did so to makeknown45the riches of His glory upon 46vessels of mercy, which He 47preparedbeforehand for glory,
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even us, whom He also48called, 49not from amongJewsonly, but also from amongGentiles.
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As He saysalso in Hosea, "50I WILL CALLTHOSE WHO WERE NOT MY PEOPLE, 'MY PEOPLE,' AND HER WHO WAS NOT BELOVED, 'BELOVED.' "
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"51AND IT SHALL BE THAT IN THE PLACEWHERE IT WAS SAID TO THEM, 'YOU ARE NOT MY PEOPLE,' THERE THEY SHALL BE CALLEDSONS OF 52THE LIVINGGOD."
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Isaiahcries out concerningIsrael, "53THOUGH THE NUMBER OF THE SONS OF ISRAEL BE 54LIKE THE SAND OF THE SEA, IT IS 55THE REMNANT THAT WILL BE SAVED;
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56FOR THE LORD WILL EXECUTE HIS WORD ON THE EARTH, THOROUGHLY AND QUICKLY."
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And just as Isaiahforetold, "57UNLESS58THE LORD OF SABAOTH HAD LEFT TO US A POSTERITY, 59WE WOULD HAVE BECOMELIKESODOM, AND WOULD HAVE RESEMBLEDGOMORRAH."
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60What shall we saythen? That Gentiles, who did not pursuerighteousness, attainedrighteousness, even61the righteousness which is by faith;
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but Israel, 62pursuing a law of righteousness, did not 63arrive at that law.
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Why*? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbledover64the stumblingstone,
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just as it is written, "65BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION66A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE, 67AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM 68WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED."