Romans · Chapter 9

[ edit] I ſeye treuþe in Criſt Jheſu, I lye not, my conſcience beringe witneſſyng to me in þe Hooly Gooſt, for greet heuyneſſe is to me, and continuel ſorwe to myn herte. Forſoþe I my ſilf deſyride for to be curſid, or departid, fro Criſt for my breþeren, þat ben my coſyns aftir þe fleiſch, þat ben Iſraelytis, or of Iſrael; whos is adopcioun of ſones, and glorie, and teſtament, and ȝyuynge of lawe, and ſeruyſe, and biheeſtis; whos ben þe fadris, and of whom Criſt aftir þe fleiſch, þat is God aboue alle þingis, bleſſid in to worldis. Amen. Soþli not þat þe word of God haþ falle doun, or failide vnfulfillid. Soþli not alle þat ben of Iſrael, þes ben Iſraelitis, or ſones of Jacob.

Neþer þei þat ben ſeed of Abraham, alle ben ſones; but in Yſaac ſeed ſchal be clepid to þee; þat is to ſeye, not þei þat ben ſones of þe fleiſh, ben ſones of God, but þei þat ben ſones of biheeſte ben demyd in ſeed of biheeſte. Soþli þis is þe word of biheeſte, Vp þis tyme I ſchal come, and a ſone ſchal be to Sare. Forſoþ not oonly ſhe, but and Rebecca, of o liggynge by hauynge tweye ſones of Yſaac, oure fadir. Soþli whanne þei weren not ȝit born, eþer hadden don ony þing of good or yuel, þat þe purpos of God ſchulde dwelle vp þe eleccioun, not of workis, but of God clepinge, it is ſeid to him, For þe more ſchal ſerue to þe laſſe, as it is writun, I louede Jacob, forſoþe Eſau I hadde in hate.

What þerfore ſchulen we ſeie? Wher wickidneſſe be anentis God? Fer be it. Forſoþ he ſeiþ to Moyſes, I ſchal haue mercy to whom I ſchal haue mercy; and I ſchal ȝyue mercy to whom I ſchal haue mercy. Þerfore it is not neþer of man willinge, neþer rennynge, but of God hauynge mercy. Forſoþe þe ſcripture ſeiþ to Pharao, For in to þis þing I haue ſtirid þee, þat I ſchewe in þee my vertu, and þat my name be told in al erþe. Þerfore of whom God wole, he haþ mercy; and whom he wole, he enduriþ, or hardeneþ. And ſo þou ſeiſt to me, What þing is ȝit ſouȝt? ſoþli who wiþſtondiþ his will? Aa! man, who art þou, þe which anſweriſt to God?

Wher a pott, or a maad þing, ſeiþ to him þat made it, What haſt þou maad me ſo? Wher a pottere of cley haþ not power of þe ſame gobet for to make ſoþli o veſſel in to honour, anoþir forſoþe in to diſpyt, or lowȝ office? Þat if God willinge for to ſchewe wraþþe, and for to make power knowun, ſuſteynede in greet pacience þe veſſels of wraþþe able in to perdicioun, or dampnacioun, þat he ſchulde ſchewe þe richeſſis of his glorie in to veſſelis of mercy, þe whiche he made redy in to glorie.

And whiche he clepide not oonli of Jewis, but alſo of heþen men, as he ſeiþ in Oſee, I ſchal clepe not my peple my peple, and not my loued my loued, and not hauynge mercy hauynge mercy; and it ſchal be in place, wher it is ſeid, Not ȝe my peple, þere þei ſchulen be clepid þe ſones of God lyuynge. Forſoþ Yſai cryeþ for Iſrael, If þe noumbre of Iſrael ſhal be as þe grauel of þe ſee, þe relifs ſchulen be maad ſaf. Forſoþ a word endinge, and abreggynge in equyte, for þe Lord ſchal make a word breggid, or maad ſhort, vpon al erþe. And as Yſaie bifore ſeide, No but God hadde left to vs ſeed, we hadden ben maad as Sodom, and we hadden ben lyk as Gomor. Þerfore what ſchulen we ſeye?

Þat heþene men þat ſueden not riȝtwyſneſſe, han kauȝt riȝtwyſneſſe, ſoþli þe riȝtwyſneſſe þat is of feiþ. Forſoþ Iſrael ſuynge þe lawe of riȝtwiſneſſe, cam not parfytli in to þe lawe of riȝtwyſneſſe. Whi? For not of feiþ, but as of workis. Soþli þei offendiden in to þe ſtoon of offencioun, or ſpurnynge, as it is writun, Lo! I putte a ſtoon of offencioun in Syon, and a ſtoon of ſclaundre; and ech þat ſchal bileue in to it, ſchal not be confoundid, or ſchent.