1 I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing witness with me in the Holy Spirit,2 that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart.3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ on behalf of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh,4 who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the Law, the service of God, and the promises;5 of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, is Christ, being God over all, blessed forever. Amen.6 Moreover, it is not as though the Word of God has fallen away. For not all those of Israel are Israel,7 nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, In Isaac your Seed shall be called.8 That is, those who are the children of flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are accounted as seed.9 For this is the Word of promise: At this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son.10 And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac11 (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls),12 it was said to her, The elder shall serve the younger.13 As it is written, Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Let it not be!15 For He says to Moses, I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.16 So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show My power in you, and that My name might be declared in all the earth.18 Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.19 You will say to me then, Why does He yet find fault? For who has resisted His will?20 No, rather, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, Why have you made me like this?21 Does not the potter have authority over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor?22 What if God, determining to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath rendered fit unto destruction,23 and that He might make known the riches of His glory on vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand unto glory,24 whom He also called, not only of us Jews, but also of the Gentiles?25 As He says also in Hosea: I will call them My people, who were not My people, and her beloved, who was not beloved.26 And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, You are not My people, There they shall be called, Sons of the living God.27 Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel: Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant will be saved.28 For He is fulfilling the Word and executing it quickly in righteousness, because the Lord will quickly execute the Word upon the earth.29 And as Isaiah said before: Unless the Lord of Hosts had left us a seed, we would have become like Sodom, and we would have been made like Gomorrah.30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have taken hold of righteousness, even the righteousness of faith;31 but Israel, pursuing the Law of righteousness, has not arrived at the Law of righteousness.32 Why? Because it was not by faith, but as out of works of the Law. For they stumbled at the stumbling stone.33 As it is written: Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, and everyone believing on Him will not be put to shame.

1 I seie treuthe in Crist Jhesu, Y lye not, for my conscience berith witnessyng to me in the Hooli Goost,2 for greet heuynesse is to me, and contynuel sorewe to my herte.3 For Y my silf desiride to be departid fro Crist for my britheren, that ben my cosyns aftir the fleisch, that ben men of Israel;4 whos is adopcioun of sones, and glorie, and testament, and yyuyng of the lawe, and seruyce, and biheestis;5 whos ben the fadris, and of which is Crist after the fleisch, that is God aboue alle thingis, blessid in to worldis.6 Amen. But not that the word of God hath falle doun. For not alle that ben of Israel, these ben Israelitis.7 Nethir thei that ben seed of Abraham, `alle ben sonys; but in Ysaac the seed schal be clepid to thee;8 that is to seie, not thei that ben sones of the fleisch, ben sones of God, but thei that ben sones of biheeste ben demed in the seed.9 For whi this is the word of biheest, Aftir this tyme Y schal come, and a sone schal be to Sare.10 And not oneli sche, but also Rebecca hadde twey sones of o liggyng bi of Ysaac, oure fadir.11 And whanne thei weren not yit borun, nether hadden don ony thing of good ether of yuel, that the purpos of God schulde dwelle bi eleccioun,12 not of werkis, but of God clepynge, it was seid to hym,13 that the more schulde serue the lesse, as it is writun, Y louede Jacob, but Y hatide Esau.14 What therfor schulen we seie? Whether wickidnesse be anentis God?15 God forbede. For he seith to Moyses, Y schal haue merci on whom Y haue merci; and Y schal yyue merci on whom Y schal haue merci.16 Therfor it is not nether of man willynge, nethir rennynge, but of God hauynge mercy.17 And the scripture seith to Farao, For to this thing Y haue stirid thee, that Y schewe in thee my vertu, and that my name be teld in al erthe.18 Therfor of whom God wole, he hath merci; and whom he wole, he endurith.19 Thanne seist thou to me, What is souyt yit? for who withstondith his wille?20 O! man, who art thou, that answerist to God? Whether a maad thing seith to hym that made it, What hast thou maad me so?21 Whether a potter of cley hath not power to make of the same gobet o vessel in to honour, an othere in to dispit?22 That if God willynge to schewe his wraththe, and to make his power knowun, hath suffrid in greet pacience vessels of wraththe able in to deth,23 to schewe the riytchessis of his glorie in to vessels of merci, whiche he made redi in to glorie.24 Whiche also he clepide not oneli of Jewis, but also of hethene men, as he seith in Osee,25 Y schal clepe not my puple my puple, and not my loued my louyd, and not getynge mercy getynge merci;26 and it schal be in the place, where it is seid to hem, Not ye my puple, there thei schulen be clepid the sones of `God lyuynge.27 But Isaye crieth for Israel, If the noumbre of Israel schal be as grauel of the see, the relifs schulen be maad saaf.28 Forsothe a word makynge an ende, and abreggynge in equyte, for the Lord schal make a word breggid on al the erthe.29 And as Ysaye bifor seide, But God of oostis hadde left to vs seed, we hadden be maad as Sodom, and we hadden be lijk as Gommor.30 Therfor what schulen we seie? That hethene men that sueden not riytwisnesse, han gete riytwisnesse, yhe, the riytwisnesse that is of feith.31 But Israel suynge the lawe of riytwisnesse, cam not parfitli in to the lawe of riytwisnesse.32 Whi? For not of feith, but as of werkys. And thei spurneden ayens the stoon of offencioun,33 as it is writun, Lo! Y putte a stoon of offensioun in Syon, and a stoon of sclaundre; and ech that schal bileue `in it, schal not be confoundid.