¹　神拣选以色列人

¹Truth I say in Christ, I lie not, my conscience bearing testimony with me in the Holy Spirit,

²我大大忧愁，心里常常伤痛。

²that I have great grief and unceasing pain in my heart —

³为我的同胞，就是我骨肉之亲，就算自己受咒诅，与基督隔绝，我也甘心。

³for I was wishing, I myself, to be anathema from the Christ — for my brethren, my kindred, according to the flesh,

⁴他们是以色列人：嗣子的名分、荣耀、众约、律法、敬拜的礼仪和各样的应许，都是他们的。

⁴who are Israelites, whose [is] the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the lawgiving, and the service, and the promises,

⁵蒙拣选的列祖也是他们的祖宗；按肉身来说，基督也是出自他们这一族。其实，他是在万有之上，永远受称颂的　神。阿们。

⁵whose [are] the fathers, and of whom [is] the Christ, according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed to the ages. Amen.

⁶当然，这不是说　神的话落了空，因为出自以色列的，不都是以色列人；

⁶And it is not possible that the word of God hath failed; for not all who [are] of Israel are these Israel;

⁷也不因为他们是亚伯拉罕的后裔，就都成为他的儿女，只有“以撒生的，才可以称为你的后裔”，

⁷nor because they are seed of Abraham [are] all children, but — `in Isaac shall a seed be called to thee;`

⁸这就是说，肉身生的儿女并不是　神的儿女，只有凭着应许生的儿女才算是后裔。

⁸that is, the children of the flesh — these [are] not children of God; but the children of the promise are reckoned for seed;

⁹因为所应许的话是这样：“明年这个时候我要来，撒拉必定生一个儿子。”

⁹for the word of promise [is] this; `According to this time I will come, and there shall be to Sarah a son.`

¹⁰不但如此，利百加也是这样：既然从一个人，就是从我们的祖宗以撒怀了孕，

¹⁰And not only [so], but also Rebecca, having conceived by one — Isaac our father —

¹¹双生子还没有生下来，善恶也没有行出来（为要坚定　神拣选人的旨意，

¹¹(for they being not yet born, neither having done anything good or evil, that the purpose of God, according to choice, might remain; not of works, but of Him who is calling,) it was said to her —

¹²不是由于行为，而是由于那呼召者），　神就对她说：“将来大的要服事小的。”

¹²`The greater shall serve the less;`

¹³正如经上所记的：“我爱雅各，却恶以扫。”

¹³according as it hath been written, `Jacob I did love, and Esau I did hate.`

¹⁴既是这样，我们可以说什么呢？　神不公平吗？绝对不会！

¹⁴What, then, shall we say? unrighteousness [is] with God? let it not be!

¹⁵因为他对摩西说：“我要怜悯谁，就怜悯谁；我要恩待谁，就恩待谁。”

¹⁵for to Moses He saith, `I will do kindness to whom I do kindness, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion;`

¹⁶这样看来，既不是出于人意，也不是由于人为，只在于那怜悯人的　神。

¹⁶so, then — not of him who is willing, nor of him who is running, but of God who is doing kindness:

¹⁷经上有话对法老说：“我把你兴起来，是要借着你显出我的大能，并且使我的名传遍全地。”

¹⁷for the Writing saith to Pharaoh — `For this very thing I did raise thee up, that I might shew in thee My power, and that My name might be declared in all the land;`

¹⁸这样看来，他愿意怜悯谁就怜悯谁，愿意谁刚硬就使谁刚硬。

¹⁸so, then, to whom He willeth, He doth kindness, and to whom He willeth, He doth harden.

¹⁹　神显出忿怒又施行怜悯这样，你会对我说：“那么他为什么责怪人呢？有谁抗拒他的旨意呢？”

¹⁹Thou wilt say, then, to me, `Why yet doth He find fault? for His counsel who hath resisted?`

²⁰你这个人哪，你是谁，竟敢跟　神顶嘴呢？被造的怎么可以对造他的说：“你为什么把我做成这个样子呢？”

²⁰nay, but, O man, who art thou that art answering again to God? shall the thing formed say to Him who did form [it], Why me didst thou make thus?

²¹陶匠难道没有权用同一团的泥，又做贵重的、又做卑贱的器皿吗？

²¹hath not the potter authority over the clay, out of the same lump to make the one vessel to honour, and the one to dishonour?

²²如果　神有意要显明他的忿怒，彰显他的大能，而多多容忍那可怒、预备遭毁灭的器皿，

²²And if God, willing to shew the wrath and to make known His power, did endure, in much long suffering, vessels of wrath fitted for destruction,

²³为了要使他丰盛的荣耀，彰显在那蒙恩、早已预备要得荣耀的器皿上，这又有什么不可呢？

²³and that He might make known the riches of His glory on vessels of kindness, that He before prepared for glory, whom also He did call — us —

²⁴这器皿就是我们这些不但从犹太人中，也从外族人中蒙召的人。

²⁴not only out of Jews, but also out of nations,

²⁵就如　神在何西阿书上说的：“我要称那不是我子民的为我的子民，那不蒙爱的为蒙爱的；

²⁵as also in Hosea He saith, `I will call what [is] not My people — My people; and her not beloved — Beloved,

²⁶从前在什么地方对他们说：你们不是我的子民，将来就在那里称他们为永活　神的儿子。”

²⁶and it shall be — in the place where it was said to them, Ye [are] not My people; there they shall be called sons of the living God.`

²⁷以赛亚指着以色列人大声说：“以色列子孙的数目虽然多如海沙，得救的不过是剩下的余数；

²⁷And Isaiah doth cry concerning Israel, `If the number of the sons of Israel may be as the sand of the sea, the remnant shall be saved;

²⁸因为主必在地上迅速而彻底地成就他的话。”

²⁸for a matter He is finishing, and is cutting short in righteousness, because a matter cut short will the Lord do upon the land.

²⁹又如以赛亚早已说过的：“如果不是万军之主给我们存留后裔，我们早就像所多玛和蛾摩拉一样了。”

²⁹and according as Isaiah saith before, `Except the Lord of Sabaoth did leave to us a seed, as Sodom we had become, and as Gomorrah we had been made like.`

³⁰以色列人因为不信而绊倒既是这样，我们还有什么可说的呢？那不追求义的外族人却得了义，就是因信而得的义。

³⁰What, then, shall we say? that nations who are not pursuing righteousness did attain to righteousness, and righteousness that [is] of faith,

³¹但以色列人追求律法的义（“律法的义”原文作“义的律法”），却达不到律法的要求。

³¹and Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, at a law of righteousness did not arrive;

³²这是什么缘故呢？因为他们不凭信心，只靠行为。他们绊倒在那绊脚石上，

³²wherefore? because — not by faith, but as by works of law; for they did stumble at the stone of stumbling,

³³正如经上所记：“看哪，我在锡安放了一块绊脚石，是绊倒人的磐石；信靠他的人，必不致失望。”

³³according as it hath been written, `Lo, I place in Sion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence; and every one who is believing thereon shall not be ashamed.`