1. I’m speaking the truth in Christ—I’m not lying, as my conscience assures me with the Holy Spirit:
2. I have great sadness and constant pain in my heart.
3. I wish I could be cursed, cut off from Christ if it helped my brothers and sisters, who are my flesh-and-blood relatives.
4. They are Israelites. The adoption as God’s children, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the Law, the worship, and the promises belong to them.
5. The Jewish ancestors are theirs, and the Christ descended from those ancestors. He is the one who rules over all things, who is God, and who is blessed forever. Amen.
6. But it’s not as though God’s word has failed. Not all who are descended from Israel are part of Israel.
7. Not all of Abraham’s children are called Abraham’s descendants, but instead your descendants will be named through Isaac.
8. That means it isn’t the natural children who are God’s children, but it is the children from the promise who are counted as descendants.
9. The words in the promise were: A year from now I will return, and Sarah will have a son.
10. Not only that, but also Rebecca conceived children with one man, our ancestor Isaac.
11. When they hadn’t been born yet and when they hadn’t yet done anything good or bad, it was shown that God’s purpose would continue because it was based on his choice.
12. It wasn’t because of what was done but because of God’s call. This was said to her: The older child will be a slave to the younger one.
13. As it is written, I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau.