Romans 9:11-16

9:11 even before they were born or had done anything good or bad (so that God’s purpose in election ¹  would stand, not by works but by ²  his calling) ³  – 9:12 ⁴  it was said to her, “The older will serve the younger,” ⁵  9:13 just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” ⁶ 

9:14 What shall we say then? Is there injustice with God? Absolutely not! 9:15 For he says to Moses: “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” ⁷  9:16 So then, ⁸  it does not depend on human desire or exertion, ⁹  but on God who shows mercy.

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¹ tn Grk “God’s purpose according to election.”

² tn Or “not based on works but based on…”

³ tn Grk “by the one who calls.”

sn The entire clause is something of a parenthetical remark.

⁴ sn Many translations place this verse division before the phrase “not by works but by his calling” (NA²⁷/UBS⁴, NIV, NRSV, NLT, NAB). Other translations place this verse division in the same place that the translation above does (NASB, KJV, NKJV, ASV, RSV). The translation has followed the latter to avoid breaking the parenthetical statement.

⁵ sn A quotation from Gen 25:23.

⁶ sn A quotation from Mal 1:2-3.

⁷ sn A quotation from Exod 33:19.

⁸ sn There is a double connective here that cannot be easily preserved in English: “consequently therefore,” emphasizing the conclusion of what he has been arguing.

⁹ tn Grk “So then, [it does] not [depend] on the one who desires nor on the one who runs.”