Romans 11
1 I ask then, did God reject his people? May it never be! For I also am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
I ask then, Has God cast off His People? No, indeed. Why, I myself am an Israelite, of the posterity of Abraham and of the tribe of Benjamin.
2 God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Or do not you know what the Scripture says about Elijah? How he pleads with God against Israel:
God has not cast off His People whom He knew beforehand. Or are you ignorant of what Scripture says in speaking of Elijah--how he pleaded with God against Israel, saying,
3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets. They have broken down your altars. I am left alone, and they seek my life.”
"Lord, they have put Thy Prophets to death, and have overthrown Thy altars; and, now that I alone remain, they are thirsting for my blood"?
4 But how does God answer him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”
But what did God say to him in reply? "I have reserved for Myself 7,000 men who have never bent the knee to Baal."
5 Even so too at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
In the same way also at the present time there has come to be a remnant whom God in His grace has selected.
6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.
But if it is in His grace that He has selected them, then His choice is no longer determined by human actions. Otherwise grace would be grace no longer.
7 What then? That which Israel seeks for, that he did not obtain, but the chosen ones obtained it, and the rest were hardened.
How then does the matter stand? It stands thus. That which Israel are in earnest pursuit of, they have not obtained; but God's chosen servants have obtained it, and the rest have become hardened.
8 According as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, to this very day.”
And so Scripture says, "God has given them a spirit of drowsiness--eyes to see nothing with and ears to hear nothing with--even until now."
9 David says, “Let their table be made a snare, a trap, a stumbling block, and a retribution to them.
And David says, "Let their very food become a snare and a trap to them, a stumbling-block and a retribution.
10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see. Always keep their backs bent.”
Let darkness come over their eyes that they may be unable to see, and make Thou their backs continually to stoop."
11 I ask then, did they stumble that they might fall? May it never be! But by their fall salvation has come to the Gentiles, to provoke them to jealousy.
I ask, however, "Have they stumbled so as to be finally ruined?" No, indeed; but by their lapse salvation has come to the Gentiles in order to arouse the jealousy of the descendants of Israel;
12 Now if their fall is the riches of the world, and their loss the riches of the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!
and if their lapse is the enriching of the world, and their overthrow the enriching of the Gentiles, will not still greater good follow their restoration?
13 For I speak to you who are Gentiles. Since then as I am an apostle to Gentiles, I glorify my ministry,
But to you Gentiles I say that, since I am an Apostle specially sent to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry,
14 if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh, and may save some of them.
trying whether I can succeed in rousing my own countrymen to jealousy and thus save some of them.
15 For if the rejection of them is the reconciling of the world, what would their acceptance be, but life from the dead?
For if their having been cast aside has carried with it the reconciliation of the world, what will their being accepted again be but Life out of death?
16 If the first fruit is holy, so is the lump. If the root is holy, so are the branches.
Now if the firstfruits of the dough are holy, so also is the whole mass; and if the root of a tree is holy, so also are the branches.
17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the root and of the richness of the olive tree,
And if some of the branches have been pruned away, and you, although you were but a wild olive, have been grafted in among them and have become a sharer with others in the rich sap of the root of the olive tree,
18 do not boast over the branches. But if you boast, remember that it is not you who support the root, but the root supports you.
beware of glorying over the natural branches. Or if you are so glorying, do not forget that it is not you who uphold the root: the root upholds you.
19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.”
"Branches have been lopped off," you will say, "for the sake of my being grafted in."
20 True; by their unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear;
This is true; yet it was their unbelief that cut them off, and you only stand through your faith.
21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.
Do not be puffed up with pride. Tremble rather--for if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you.
22 See then the goodness and severity of God. Toward those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in his goodness; otherwise you also will be cut off.
Notice therefore God's kindness and God's severity. On those who have fallen His severity has descended, but upon you His kindness has come, provided that you do not cease to respond to that kindness. Otherwise you will be cut off also.
23 They also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
Moreover, if they turn from their unbelief, they too will be grafted in. For God is powerful enough to graft them in again;
24 For if you were cut out of that which is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree, how much more will these, which are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
and if you were cut from that which by nature is a wild olive and contrary to nature were grafted into the good olive tree, how much more certainly will these natural branches be grafted on their own olive tree?
25 For I do not desire you to be ignorant, brothers, of this mystery, so that you will not be wise in your own conceits, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in,
For there is a truth, brethren, not revealed hitherto, of which I do not wish to leave you in ignorance, for fear you should attribute superior wisdom to yourselves--the truth, I mean, that partial blindness has fallen upon Israel until the great mass of the Gentiles have come in;
26 and so all Israel will be saved. Even as it is written, “There will come out of Zion the Deliverer, and he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob.
and so all Israel will be saved. As is declared in Scripture, "From Mount Zion a Deliverer will come: He will remove all ungodliness from Jacob;
27 This is my covenant with them, when I will take away their sins.”
and this shall be My Covenant with them; when I have taken away their sins."
28 Concerning the Good News, they are enemies for your sake. But concerning the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sake.
In relation to the Good News, the Jews are God's enemies for your sakes; but in relation to God's choice they are dearly loved for the sake of their forefathers.
29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
For God does not repent of His free gifts nor of His call;
30 For as you in time past were disobedient to God, but now have obtained mercy by their disobedience,
but just as you were formerly disobedient to Him, but now have received mercy at a time when they are disobedient,
31 even so these also have now been disobedient, that by the mercy shown to you they may also obtain mercy.
so now they also have been disobedient at a time when you are receiving mercy; so that to them too there may now be mercy.
For God has locked up all in the prison of unbelief, that upon all alike He may have mercy. (eleēsē g1653)
33 Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out!
Oh, how inexhaustible are God's resources and God's wisdom and God's knowledge! How impossible it is to search into His decrees or trace His footsteps!
34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?”
"Who has ever known the mind of the Lord, or shared His counsels?"
35 “Or who has first given to him, and it will be repaid to him again?”
"Who has first given God anything, so as to receive payment in return?"
