Romans 11
1 I say therefore, did God thrust away his people? May it not happen! For I also am an Israelite from the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
I ask, then, ‘Has God rejected his People?’ Heaven forbid! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
2 God did not thrust away his people whom he foreknew. Or know ye not what the scripture tells by Elijah? How he encounters God about Israel.
God has not rejected his People, whom he chose from the first. Have you forgotten the words of Scripture in the story of Elijah — how he appeals to God against Israel?
3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and they have torn down thine altars, and I am left alone, and they seek my life.
‘Lord, they have killed thy Prophets, they have pulled down thy altars, and I only am left; and now they are eager to take my life.’
4 But what does the divine response say to him? I have reserved for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed a knee to Baal.
But what was the divine response? ‘I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have never bowed the knee to Baal.’
5 So then also at this present time there has become a remnant according to the selection of grace.
And so in our own time, too, there is to be found a remnant of our nation selected by God in love.
6 And if it is by grace, it is no longer from works, otherwise grace becomes no longer grace. But if it is from works it is no longer grace, otherwise work is no longer work.
But if in love, then no longer as a result of obedience. Otherwise love would cease to be love.
7 What then? What Israel seeks, this it did not obtain. But the chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened,
What follows from this? Why, that Israel as a nation failed to secure what it was seeking, while those whom God selected did secure it.
8 just as it is written that God gave them a spirit of slumber: eyes not to see, and ears not to hear, until this very day.
The rest grew callous; as Scripture says — ‘God has given them a deadness of mind — eyes that are not to see and ears that are not to hear — and it is so to this very day.’
9 And David says, Let their table become for a snare, and for a trap, and for a stumbling block, and for a retribution to them.
David, too, says — ‘May their feasts prove a snare and a trap to them — a hindrance and a retribution;
10 Let their eyes be darkened, not to see, and may thou bow down their back always.
may their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see; and do thou always make their backs to bend.’
11 I say then, did they stumble so that they would fall? May it not happen! But in their transgression, salvation is to the Gentiles, in order to provoke them to jealousy.
I ask then — ‘Was their stumbling to result in their fall?’ Heaven forbid! On the contrary, through their falling away Salvation has reached the Gentiles, to stir the rivalry of Israel.
12 Now if their transgression is wealth of the world, and their failure is wealth of Gentiles, how much more their fullness?
And, if their falling away has enriched the world, and their failure has enriched the Gentiles, how much more will result from their full restoration!
13 For I speak to you the Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am indeed an apostle of Gentiles, I enhance my ministry,
But I am speaking to you who were Gentiles.
14 if somehow I may provoke my flesh to jealousy and may save some of them.
Being myself an Apostle to the Gentiles, I exalt my office, in the hope that I may stir my countrymen to rivalry, and so save some of them.
15 For if the casting away of them is reconciliation of the world, what is the acceptance except life from the dead?
For, if their being cast aside has meant the reconciliation of the world, what will their reception mean, but Life from the dead?
16 And if the first fruit is holy, the branch is also. And if the root is holy, the branches are also.
If the first handful of dough in holy, so is the whole mass; and if the root is holy, so are the branches.
17 And if some of the branches were broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and became a joint partaker of the root of the fatness of the olive tree,
Some, however, of the branches were broken off, and you, who were only a wild olive, were grafted in among them, and came to share with them the root which is the source of the richness of the cultivated olive.
18 do not boast against the branches. But if thou boast, thou do not bear the root, but the root thee.
Yet do not exult over the other branches. But, if you do exult over them, remember that you do not support the root, but that the root supports you.
19 Thou will therefore say, Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.
But branches, you will say, were broken off, so that I might be grafted in.
20 Correct! They were broken off for their unbelief, and thou stand by thy faith. Be not high-minded but fear,
True; it was because of their want of faith that they were broken off, and it is because of your faith that you are standing. Do not think too highly of yourself, but beware.
21 for if God spared not the natural branches, perhaps neither will he spare thee.
For, if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.
22 Behold therefore the goodness and the severity of God. Indeed toward those who fell, severity, but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness, otherwise thou too will be cut off.
See, then, both the goodness and the severity of God — his severity towards those who fell, and his goodness towards you, provided that you continue to confide in that goodness; otherwise you, also, will be cut off.
23 And also those, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
And they, too, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in; for God has it in his power to graft them in again.
24 For if thou were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural ones, be grafted into their own olive tree.
If you were cut off from your natural stock — a wild olive — and were grafted, contrary to the course of nature, upon a good olive, much more will they — the natural branches — be grafted back into their parent tree.
25 For I do not want you, brothers, to be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise according to yourselves, that a callousness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles come in.
Brothers, for fear that you should think too highly of yourselves, I want you to recognise the truth, hitherto hidden, that the callousness which has come over Israel is only partial, and will continue only till the whole Gentile world has been gathered in.
26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written, The man who delivers will come from Zion, and will turn away impiety from Jacob.
And then all Israel shall be saved. As Scripture says — ‘From Zion will come the Deliverer; he will banish ungodliness from Jacob.
27 And this is the covenant from me to them when I will take away their sins.
And they shall see the fulfilment of my Covenant, when I have taken away their sins.’
28 They are indeed enemies toward the good news for your sake, but toward selection, they are beloved for the fathers' sake.
From the stand-point of the Good News, the Jews are God’s enemies on your account; but from the stand-point of God’s selection, they are dear to him on account of the Patriarchs.
29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
For God never regrets his gifts or his Call.
30 For as ye once were also disobedient to God, but now have received mercy at the disobedience of these,
Just as you at one time were disobedient to him, but have now found mercy in the day of their disobedience;
31 so also now these have been disobedient for thy mercy, so that they also may receive mercy.
so, too, they have now become disobedient in your day of mercy, in order that they also in their turn may now find mercy.
32 For God has confined all men in disobedience, so that he might be merciful to all. (eleēsē g1653)
For God has given all alike over to disobedience, that to all alike he may show mercy. (eleēsē g1653)
33 O the depth of wealth, both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways beyond finding out!
Oh! the unfathomable wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments, how untraceable his ways! Yes —
34 For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who became his counselor?
‘Who has ever comprehended the mind of the Lord? Who has ever become his counsellor?
35 Or who first gave to him, and it will be repaid to him?
Or who has first given to him, so that he may claim a recompense?’
