6 ^hBut it is not as though the word of God has failed. For ⁱnot all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, 7 and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but ^j“Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 8 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the ^kchildren of the promise are ^lcounted as offspring. 9 For this is what the promise said: ^m“About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.” 10 And not only so, but also ⁿwhen Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, 11 though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s ^opurpose of ^pelection might continue, ^qnot because of works but because of him who calls— 12 she was told, ^r“The older will serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, ^s“Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”