9:6 It is not as though the word of God had failed. For not all those who are descended from Israel are truly Israel, ¹  9:7 nor are all the children Abraham’s true descendants; rather “through Isaac will your descendants be counted.” ²  9:8 This means ³  it is not the children of the flesh ⁴  who are the children of God; rather, the children of promise are counted as descendants. 9:9 For this is what the promise declared: ⁵  “About a year from now ⁶  I will return and Sarah will have a son.” ⁷