Romans 8:39-13:14 neither height, nor depth; nor any created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Living_Oracles⁽ⁱ⁾ ³⁹ neither height, nor depth; nor any created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. ⁹ ¹ I speak the truth in Christ, I do not speak falsely, my conscience bearing me witness, in the Holy Spirit, ² that I have great grief and unceasing anguish, in my heart, ³ for my brethren, -my kinsmen, according to the flesh; (for I also was, myself, wishing to be accursed from Christ:) ⁴ who are Israelites; whose are the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the rites of service, and the promises; ⁵ whose are the fathers; and from whom the Messiah descended, according to the flesh; who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen. ⁶ Now, it is not to be supposed that the promise of God has failed; for all the descendants of Israel are not Israel. ⁷ Neither are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but "In Isaac shall your seed be called." ⁸ That is, the children of the flesh are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted for seed. ⁹ For the word of promise was this, "According to this time, I will come, and Sarah shall have a son." ¹⁰ And not only this, but Rebecca, also, having conceived twins, by one, even Isaac our father; ¹¹ (they, indeed, not being yet born; neither having done any good or evil; that the purpose of God might stand, by an election; not on account 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 slighted." ¹⁴ What shall we, then, say? Is there not injustice with God? ¹⁵ By no means. For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy; and I will have compassion on whom 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 Besides, the scripture says to Pharaoh, "Even for this same purpose I have roused you up; that I might show, in you, my power; and that my name might be published through all the earth." ¹⁸ Well, then, he has mercy on whom he will; and whom he will, he hardens. ¹⁹ But you will say to me, Why does he still find fault, for who has resisted his will? ²⁰ Nay, but, O man, who are you, who reply against God? Shall the thing formed, say to him who formed it, Why have you made me thus? ²¹ Has not the potter a just power over the clay, to make of the same lump one vessel to honor, and another to dishonor? ²² Yet God, willing to show his wrath, and make know his power, did bear, with much long-suffering, the vessels of wrath, fitted for destruction. ²³ And that he might make known the riches of his glory, on the vessels of mercy, which he had before prepared for glory: ²⁴ even us, whom he has called; not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles. ²⁵ Even as he says, by Hosea, "They shall be called my people, who were not my people; and she 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 Besides, Isaiah cries, concerning Israel, "Through the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant shall be saved. ²⁸ For he was about to complete and hasten his work in righteousness; for a short work will the Lord make upon this land." ²⁹ And, as Isaiah has said before, "Unless the Lord of hosts had left us a seed, we should have become as Sodom, and been made like to Gomorrah." ³⁰ What shall we say, then, that the Gentiles, who did not seek after justification, have attained justification, even a justification which is by faith? ³¹ But Israel, who followed a law of justification, have not attained to a law of justification. ³² Why? Because they sought it not by faith; but, as it were, by works of law: for they stumbled, at the stone of stumbling. ³³ As it is written, "Behold, I place in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whosoever believes on it, shall not be ashamed." ¹⁰ ¹ Brethren, indeed my heart's desire and prayer to God for them, is, that they may be saved. ² For I testify to God for them, that they have a zeal for God; but not according to knowledge; ³ for being ignorant of God's justification, and seeking to establish their own, they have not submitted to the justification which is of God. ⁴ For Christ is the end of the law for justification to every believer. ⁵ Now Moses describes the justification which is by the law, that "the man who does these things shall live by them." ⁶ But the justification which is by faith speaks thus: Say not in your heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? that is, to bring Christ down. ⁷ Or, Who shall descend into the abyss? that is, to bring up Christ from the dead. ⁸ But what does it say? (The word is near you-in your mouth, and in your heart; that is, the word of faith which we preach:) ⁹ that if you will openly confess with your mouth, that Jesus is Lord, and believe with your heart that God raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. ¹⁰ (For with your heart man believes to justification: and with your mouth confession is made to salvation.) ¹¹ For the scripture says, "No one, who believes on him, shall be ashamed." ¹² Indeed, there is no distinction either of Jew or of Greek: for the same Lord of all, is right toward all who call upon him. ¹³ "For whoever will call on the name of the Lord shall be saved." ¹⁴ But how shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him, of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear, without a proclaimer? ¹⁵ and how shall proclaim, unless they be sent? as it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of them, who bring the joyful message of peace-of them, who bring the joyful news of good things!" ¹⁶ Nevertheless, all have not obeyed the gospel; for Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our report?" ¹⁷ (So, then, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.) ¹⁸ But I ask, have they not heard? Yes, indeed, "Their sound has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world." ¹⁹ I ask again, has not Israel known? First, Moses says, "I will provoke you to jealousy by that, which is no nation; -by a foolish nation I will enrage you." ²⁰ Besides, Isaiah is very bold when he says, "I am found by them, who did not seek me: I am shown to them, who did not ask for me." ²¹ But concerning Israel he says, "All the day long, have I stretched forth my hand to a disobedient and rebelling people." ¹¹ ¹ I say, then, has God cast off his people? By no means. For, even I am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. ² God has not cast off his people whom formerly he acknowledged. Do you not know, what the scripture says to Elijah; when he complains to God against Israel, saying, ³ "Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and have digged down thy altars, and I am let alone, and they seek my life?" ⁴ But what says the answer to God to him? "I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal." ⁵ So, then, even at this present time, there is a remnant according to an election by favor. ⁶ And if by favor, it is no more of works: otherwise favor is no more favor. ⁷ What then? The thing Israel earnestly seeks, that he has not obtained. But the election has obtained it, and the rest are blinded. ⁸ As it is written, "God has given them a spirit of deep sleep; eyes not seeing, and ears not hearing, until this present day." ⁹ And David says, "Let their table be for a snare, and a trap, and a stumbling block, and a recompense to them. ¹⁰ Let their eyes be darkened, so as not to see; and let them bow down their back continually. ¹¹ I ask, then, have they stumbled, that they may fall? By no means. But, through their fall, salvation is given to the Gentiles, to excite them to emulation. ¹² Now, if the fall of them be the riches of the world; and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fullness? ¹³ Now, I speak to you, Gentiles, (and inasmuch as I am the Apostle to the Gentiles, I do honor to my ministry,) ¹⁴ if by any means I may excite to emulation my kindred, and may save some of them. ¹⁵ For, if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world; what will the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? ¹⁶ Moreover, if the first fruit be holy, the mass is also holy; and if the root be holy, so are the branches. ¹⁷ Now, if some of the branches were broken off, and you who are a wild olive, are engrafted among them, and are become a joint partaker of the root and fatness of the olive; ¹⁸ boast not against the branches: but if you boast, still, you bear not the root, but the root you. ¹⁹ You will say, however, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. ²⁰ True: by unbelief they were broken off, and you by faith, stand. Be not high-minded, but fear. ²¹ For, if God spared not the natural branches; perhaps, neither will he spare you. ²² Behold, then, the goodness and severity of God! Toward them who fell, severity: but toward you, goodness, if you continue in his goodness: otherwise, you also shall be cut off. ²³ And even they, if they continued not in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again. ²⁴ For if you were cut off from the olive, by nature wild, and were contrary to nature, grafted into the good olive; how much rather shall those who are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive? ²⁵ For, brethren, that you may not be, wise in your own conceits, I would not have you ignorant of this secret, that blindness, in part, has happened to Israel, till the fullness of the Gentiles come in. ²⁶ And so all Israel shall be saved; as it is written, "The deliverer shall come out of Zion, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. ²⁷ For this is my covenant with them, when I shall take away their sins." ²⁸ With respect to the gospel, indeed, they are enemies, on your account: but with respect to the election, they are beloved on account of the fathers. ²⁹ For the free gifts and calling of God are without repentance. ³⁰ Besides, as you, in times past, have disobeyed God, yet now have obtained mercy through their disobedience; ³¹ even so these, also, have no disobeyed, that through your mercy, they also may obtain mercy. ³² For God has shut up together all for disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all. ³³ Oh that depth of the riches and of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! ³⁴ For who has known the mind of the Lord? or who has been his counsellor? ³⁵ or who has first given to him, and it shall be recompensed to him again? ³⁶ For, from him, and by him, and to him, are all things: to him be the glory forever. Amen. ¹² ¹ Wherefore, brethren, I beseech you, by the tender mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. ² And be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind; that you may approve the will of God, which is good, and acceptable, and perfect. ³ Also, by the favor which is given to me, I charge every one of you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think modestly, as God has distributed to every one a portion of his faith. ⁴ For, as in one body we have many members, but all the members have not the same office; ⁵ so we, the many, are one body under Christ, and individually members of one another. ⁶ Having, then, gifts, differing according to the favor which is given to us-if prophecy act according to the measure of faith- ⁷ if a ministerial office, in that office-if one is a teacher, in teaching- ⁸ and the exhorter, in exhortation. Let him who distributes act with disinterestedness-him that presides, with assiduity-him that shows mercy, with cheerfulness. ⁹ Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor the evil-adhere closely to the good. ¹⁰ In brotherly love, be tenderly affectionate to one another-in honor, prefer one another. ¹¹ In business, be not slothful. Be fervent in spirit- constant in serving the Lord. ¹² Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, steadfastly persevering in prayer. ¹³ Communicate to the necessities of the saints. Follow hospitality to strangers. ¹⁴ Bless them who persecute you-bless, and curse not. ¹⁵ Rejoice with them who rejoice, and weep with them who weep. ¹⁶ Be of the same disposition toward one another. Do not care for high things; but accommodate yourselves to those which are humble. Be not wise in your own conceits. ¹⁷ To no one return evil for evil. Seek after things honorable in the sight of all men. ¹⁸ What relates to you is, live in peace with all men, if possible. ¹⁹ Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but give place to the wrath of God; for it is written, "Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord." ²⁰ Therefore, if your enemy hunger, give him food: if he thirst, give him drink: for by doing this, you will heap coals of fire on his head. ²¹ Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. ¹³ ¹ Let every soul be subject to the higher powers. For there is no power but from God; and those that exist are placed under God. ² Wherefore, he who sets himself in opposition to the power, resists the ordinance of God: and they who resist shall procure punishment to themselves. ³ For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Would you, then, not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good, and you shall have praise of the same. ⁴ For the ruler is a servant of God for good to you. But if you do that which is evil, be afraid; because he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is a servant of God, a revenger to inflict wrath on him who works evil. ⁵ Wherefore, it is necessary for you to be subject, not only on account of punishment, but also on account of conscience. ⁶ For this reason, therefore, you pay taxes also to them, because they are public ministers of God, attending continually to this very business. ⁷ Render, therefore, to all their dues; to whom tax is due, tax; to whom custom, custom; to whom fear, fear; to whom honor, honor. ⁸ Owe no man anything, unless to love one another. For he who loves another, has fulfilled the law. ⁹ For this, "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not kill, You shall not covet"; and if there be any other commandment, it is summed up in this precept, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." ¹⁰ Love works no evil to one's neighbor: therefore, love the fulfilling of the law. ¹¹ Further, knowing the season, that it is now the hour for us to awake out of sleep. (For now our salvation is nearer than when we believed: ¹² the night is far advanced, and the day is at hand.) Let us, therefore, put off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. ¹³ Let us walk about decently, as in the day, not in revellings and drunkenness; not in chamberings and lasciviousness; not in strife and envy. ¹⁴ But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the lusts of the flesh.