Romans 9

1 I speak the truth in Christ; I am not lying, as confirmed by my conscience in the Holy Spirit.

1 أَقُولُ الْحَقَّ فِي الْمَسِيحِ، لَسْتُ أَكْذِبُ، وَضَمِيرِي شَاهِدٌ لِي بِالرُّوحِ الْقُدُسِ،

2 I have deep sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.

2 إِنَّ بِي حُزْناً شَدِيداً، وَبِقَلْبِي أَلَمٌ لَا يَنْقَطِعُ:

3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my own flesh and blood,

3 فَقَدْ كُنْتُ أَتَمَنَّى لَوْ أَكُونُ أَنَا نَفْسِي مَحْرُوماً مِنَ الْمَسِيحِ فِي سَبِيلِ إِخْوَتِي، بَنِي جِنْسِي حَسَبَ الْجَسَدِ.

4 the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory and the covenants; theirs the giving of the law, the temple worship, and the promises.

4 فَإِنَّهُمْ إِسْرَائِيلِيُّونَ، وَقَدْ مُنِحُوا التَّبَنِّيَ وَالْمَجْدَ وَالْعُهُودَ وَالتَّشْرِيعَ وَالْعِبَادَةَ وَالْمَوَاعِيدَ،

5 Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them proceeds the human descent of Christ, who is God over all, forever worthy of praise! Amen.

5 وَمِنْهُمْ كَانَ الآبَاءُ وَمِنْهُمْ جَاءَ الْمَسِيحُ حَسَبَ الْجَسَدِ، وَهُوَ فَوْقَ الْجَمِيعِ اللهُ الْمُبَارَكُ إِلَى الأَبَدِ. آمِين.

6 It is not as though God’s word has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.

6 لَسْتُ أَعْنِي أَنَّ كَلِمَةَ اللهِ قَدْ خَابَتْ. إِذْ لَيْسَ جَمِيعُ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ هُمْ إِسْرَائِيلُ؛

7 Nor because they are Abraham’s descendants are they all his children. On the contrary, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.”

7 وَلَيْسُوا، لأَنَّهُمْ نَسْلُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، كُلُّهُمْ أَوْلاداً لِلهِ، بَلْ، كَمَا قَدْ كُتِبَ: «بِإِسْحَاقَ سَيَكُونُ لَكَ نَسْلٌ يَحْمِلُ اسْمَكَ».

8 So it is not the children of the flesh who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as offspring.

8 أَيْ أَنَّ أَوْلادَ الْجَسَدِ لَيْسُوا هُمْ أَوْلادَ اللهِ، بَلْ أَوْلادُ الْوَعْدِ يُحْسَبُونَ نَسْلاً.

9 For this is what the promise stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”

9 فَهذِهِ هِيَ كَلِمَةُ الْوَعْدِ: «فِي مِثْلِ هَذَا الْوَقْتِ أَعُودُ، وَيَكُونُ لِسَارَةَ ابْنٌ».

10 Not only that, but Rebecca’s children were conceived by one man, our father Isaac.

10 لَيْسَ ذَلِكَ فَقَطْ، بَلْ إِنَّ رِفْقَةَ أَيْضاً، وَقَدْ حَبِلَتْ مِنْ رَجُلٍ وَاحِدٍ، مِنْ إِسْحَاقَ أَبِينَا،

11 Yet before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad, in order that God’s plan of election might stand,

11 وَلَمْ يَكُنِ الْوَلَدَانِ قَدْ وُلِدَا بَعْدُ وَلا فَعَلا خَيْراً أَوْ شَرّاً، وَذلِكَ كَيْ يَبْقَى قَصْدُ اللهِ مِنْ جِهَةِ الاخْتِيَارِ

12 not by works but by Him who calls, she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”

12 لا عَلَى أَسَاسِ الأَعْمَالِ بَلْ عَلَى أَسَاسِ دَعْوَةٍ مِنْهُ، قِيلَ لَهَا: «إِنَّ الْوَلَدَ الأَكْبَرَ يَكُونُ عَبْداً لِلأَصْغَرِ»،

13 So it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

13 كَمَا قَدْ كُتِبَ: «أَحْبَبْتُ يَعْقُوبَ، وَأَبْغَضْتُ عِيسُوَ».

14 What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Certainly not!

14 إِذاً، مَاذَا نَقُولُ، أَيَكُونُ عِنْدَ اللهِ ظُلْمٌ، حَاشَا!

15 For He says to Moses: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”

15 فَإِنَّهُ يَقُولُ لِمُوسَى: «إِنِّي أَرْحَمُ مَنْ أَرْحَمُهُ، وَأُشْفِقُ عَلَى مَنْ أُشْفِقُ عَلَيْهِ!»

16 So then, it does not depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.

16 إِذاً، لَا يَتَعَلَّقُ الأَمْرُ بِرَغْبَةِ الإِنْسَانِ وَلا بِسَعْيِهِ، وَإِنَّمَا بِرَحْمَةِ اللهِ فَقَطْ.

17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”

17 فَإِنَّ اللهَ يَقُولُ لِفِرْعَوْنَ فِي الْكِتَابِ: «لِهَذَا الأَمْرِ بِعَيْنِهِ أَقَمْتُكَ: لأُظْهِرَ فِيكَ قُدْرَتِي وَيُعْلَنَ اسْمِي فِي الأَرْضِ كُلِّهَا».

18 Therefore God has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy, and He hardens whom He wants to harden.

18 فاللهُ إِذاً يَرْحَمُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ، وَيُقَسِّي مَنْ يَشَاءُ.

19 One of you will say to me, “Then why does God still find fault? For who can resist His will?”

19 هُنَا سَتَقُولُ لِي: «لِمَاذَ يَلُومُ بَعْدُ؟ مَنْ يُقَاوِمُ قَصْدَهُ؟»

20 But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to Him who formed it, “Why did You make me like this?”

20 فَأَقُولُ: مَنْ أَنْتَ أَيُّهَا الإِنْسَانُ حَتَّى تَرُدَّ جَوَاباً عَلَى اللهِ؟ أَيَقُولُ الشَّيْءُ الْمَصْنُوعُ لِصَانِعِهِ: لِمَاذَا صَنَعْتَنِي هَكَذَا؟

21 Does not the potter have the right to make from the same lump of clay one vessel for special occasions and another for common use?

21 أَوَ لَيْسَ لِصَانِعِ الْفَخَّارِ سُلْطَةٌ عَلَى الطِّينِ لِيَصْنَعَ مِنْ كُتْلَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وِعَاءً لِلاِسْتِعْمَالِ الرَّفِيعِ وَآخَرَ لِلاِسْتِعْمَالِ الوَضِيعِ؟

22 What if God, intending to show His wrath and make His power known, bore with great patience the vessels of His wrath, prepared for destruction?

22 فَمَاذَا إِذاً إِنْ كَانَ اللهُ، وَقَدْ شَاءَ أَنْ يُظْهِرَ غَضَبَهُ وَيُعْلِنَ قُدْرَتَهُ، احْتَمَلَ بِكُلِّ صَبْرٍ أَوْعِيَةَ غَضَبٍ جَاهِزَةً لِلْهَلاكِ،

23 What if He did this to make the riches of His glory known to the vessels of His mercy, whom He prepared in advance for glory—

23 وَذَلِكَ بِقَصْدِ أَنْ يُعْلِنَ غِنَى مَجْدِهِ فِي أَوْعِيَةِ الرَّحْمَةِ الَّتِي سَبَقَ فَأَعَدَّهَا لِلْمَجْدِ،

24 including us, whom He has called not only from the Jews, but also from the Gentiles?

24 فِينَا نَحْنُ الَّذِينَ دَعَاهُمْ لَا مِنْ بَيْنِ الْيَهُودِ فَقَطْ بَلْ مِنْ بَيْنِ الأُمَمِ أَيْضاً؟

25 As He says in Hosea: “I will call them ‘My People’ who are not My people, and I will call her ‘My Beloved’ who is not My beloved,”

25 وَذَلِكَ عَلَى حَدِّ مَا يَقُولُ أَيْضاً فِي نُبُوءَةِ هُوشَعَ: «مَنْ لَمْ يَكُونُوا شَعْبِي سَأَدْعُوهُمْ شَعْبِي، وَمَنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ مَحْبُوبَةً سَأَدْعُوهَا مَحْبُوبَةً.

26 and, “It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’”

26 وَيَكُونُ أَنَّهُ حَيْثُ قِيلَ لَهُمْ: لَسْتُمْ شَعْبِي، فَهُنَاكَ يُدْعَوْنَ أَبْنَاءَ اللهِ الْحَيِّ».

27 Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the Israelites is like the sand of the sea, only the remnant will be saved.

27 أَمَّا إِشَعْيَاءُ، فَيَهْتِفُ مُتَكَلِّماً عَلَى إِسْرَائِيلَ: «وَلَوْ كَانَ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ كَرَمْلِ الْبَحْرِ عَدَداً، فَإِنَّ بَقِيَّةً مِنْهُمْ سَتَخْلُصُ.

28 For the Lord will carry out His sentence on the earth thoroughly and decisively.”

28 فَإِنَّ الرَّبَّ سَيَحْسِمُ الأَمْرَ وَيُنْجِزُ كَلِمَتَهُ سَرِيعاً عَلَى الأَرْضِ».

29 It is just as Isaiah foretold: “Unless the Lord of Hosts had left us descendants, we would have become like Sodom, we would have resembled Gomorrah.”

29 وَكَمَا قَالَ إِشَعْيَاءُ سَابِقاً: «لَوْ لَمْ يُبْقِ لَنَا رَبُّ الْجُنُودِ نَسْلاً، لَصِرْنَا مِثْلَ سَدُومَ وَشَابَهْنَا عَمُورَةَ!»

30 What then will we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;

30 فَمَا هِيَ خُلاصَةُ الْقَوْلِ؟ إِنَّ الأُمَمَ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يَكُونُوا يَسْعَوْنَ وَرَاءَ الْبِرِّ، قَدْ بَلَغُوا الْبِرَّ، وَلَكِنَّهُ الْبِرُّ الْقَائِمُ عَلَى أَسَاسِ الإِيمَانِ.

31 but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it.

31 أَمَّا إِسْرَائِيلُ، وَقَدْ كَانُوا يَسْعَوْنَ وَرَاءَ شَرِيعَةٍ تَهْدِفُ إِلَى الْبِرِّ، فَقَدْ فَشَلُوا حَتَّى فِي بُلُوغِ الشَّرِيعَةِ.

32 Why not? Because their pursuit was not by faith, but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone,

32 وَلأَيِّ سَبَبٍ؟ لأَنَّ سَعْيَهُمْ لَمْ يَكُنْ عَلَى أَسَاسِ الإِيمَانِ، بَلْ كَانَ وَكَأَنَّ الأَمْرَ قَائِمٌ عَلَى الأَعْمَالِ. فَقَدْ تَعَثَّرُوا بِحَجَرِ الْعَثْرَةِ،

33 as it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense; and the one who believes in Him will never be put to shame.”

33 كَمَا كُتِبَ: «هَا أَنَا وَاضِعٌ فِي صِهْيَوْنَ حَجَرَ عَثْرَةٍ وَصَخْرَةَ سُقُوطٍ. وَمَنْ يُؤْمِنُ بِهِ لَا يَخِيبُ».