Israel’s Rejection

9 I am telling the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears witness to me in the Holy Spirit—2 that my grief is great and there is constant distress in my heart. 3 For I could wish myself to be accursed from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my fellow countrymen according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites, to whom belong the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the temple service, and the promises, 5 to whom belong the patriarchs, and from whom is the Christ according to human descent, who is God over all, blessed forever[fn]! Amen.

6 But it is not as if the word of God had failed. For not all those who are descended from Israel are truly Israel, 7 nor are they all children because they are descendants of Abraham, but “In Isaac will your descendants be named.”[fn] 8 That is, it is not the children by human descent[fn]who are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as descendants. 9 For the statement of the promise is this: “At this time I will return and Sarah will have[fn] a son.”[fn] 10 And not only this, but also when[fn] Rebecca conceived children by oneman,[fn] Isaac our father—11 for although they[fn] had not yet been born, or done anything good or evil, in order that the purpose of God according to election might remain, 12 not by works but by the one who calls—it was said to her, “The older will serve the younger,”[fn] 13 just as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”[fn]