¹　神拣选以色列人

¹I tell the truth in Christ. I am not lying, my conscience testifying with me in the Holy Spirit,

²我大大忧愁，心里常常伤痛。

²that I have great sorrow 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 could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brothers’ sake, my relatives 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, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, 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。

⁵of whom are the fathers, and from whom is Christ as concerning the flesh, who is over all, God, blessed forever. 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；

⁶But it is not as though the word of God has come to nothing. For they are not all Israel, that are of 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”，

⁷Neither, because they are Abraham’s seed, are they all children. But, “In Isaac will your seed be called.” Genesis 21:12

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, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as a 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 this is a word of promise, “At the appointed time I will come, and Sarah will have a son.” Genesis 18:10,14

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，

¹⁰Not only so, but Rebecca also conceived by one, by our father Isaac.

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，

¹¹For being not yet born, neither having done anything good or bad, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him who calls, NA puts the phrase “not of works, but of him who calls” at the beginning of verse 12 instead of the end of verse 11.

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。”

¹²it was said to her, “The elder will serve the younger.” Genesis 25:23

¹³正如经上所记的：“我爱雅各，却恶以扫。”

¹³Even as it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” Malachi 1:2-3

¹⁴既是这样，我们可以说什么呢？　神不公平吗？绝对不会！

¹⁴What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? May it never 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 he said to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” Exodus 33:19

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 it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who has mercy.

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 Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I caused you to be raised up, that I might show in you my power, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” Exodus 9:16

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, he has mercy on whom he desires, and he hardens whom he desires.

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？”

¹⁹You will say then to me, “Why does he still find fault? For who withstands his will?”

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？”

²⁰But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed ask him who formed it, “Why did you make me like this?” Isaiah 29:16; 45:9

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？

²¹Or hasn’t the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel for honor, and another for dishonor?

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，

²²What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath made 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 mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory,

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。

²⁴us, whom he also called, not from the Jews only, but also from the Gentiles?

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 he says also in Hosea, “I will call them ‘my people,’ which were not my people; and her ‘beloved,’ who was not beloved.” Hosea 2:23

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。”

²⁶“It will be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ There they will be called ‘children of the living God.’” Hosea 1:10

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；

²⁷Isaiah cries concerning Israel, “If the number of the children of Israel are as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant who will be saved;

²⁸因为主必在地上迅速而彻底地成就他的话。”

²⁸for He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness, because the LORD will make a short work upon the earth.” Isaiah 10:22-23

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。”

²⁹As Isaiah has said before, “Unless the Lord of Armies Greek: Sabaoth (for Hebrew: Tze’va’ot) had left us a seed, we would have become like Sodom, and would have been made like Gomorrah.” Isaiah 1:9

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 shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who didn’t follow after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which 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。

³¹but Israel, following after a law of righteousness, didn’t arrive at the law of righteousness.

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，

³²Why? Because they didn’t seek it by faith, but as it were by works of the law. They stumbled over the stumbling stone;

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。”

³³even as it is written, “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and a rock of offense; and no one who believes in him will be disappointed.” Isaiah 8:14; 28:16