Romans 11
1 I ask then, did God reject His people? Certainly not! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from 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 reject His people, whom He foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says about Elijah, how he appealed to God against 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 Your prophets and torn down Your altars. I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well”?
“Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have pulled down your altars, and I only am left; and now they are eager to take my life.”
4 And what was the divine reply to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”
But what was the divine response? “I have kept for myself seven thousand who have never bowed the knee to Baal.”
5 In the same way, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by 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, then it is no longer by works. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace.
But if in love, then it is not as a result of obedience. Otherwise love would cease to be love.
7 What then? What Israel was seeking, it failed to obtain, but the elect did. The others 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 as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see, and ears that could not hear, to 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: “May their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution to them.
David, too, says – “May their feasts prove a snare and a trap to them – a hindrance and a retribution;
10 May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever.”
may their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see; and do you always make their backs to bend.”
11 I ask then, did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Certainly not! However, because of their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous.
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 But if their trespass means riches for the world, and their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!
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 I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry
But I am speaking to you who were Gentiles.
14 in the hope that I may provoke my own people to jealousy and 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 their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but 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 If the first part of the dough is holy, so is the whole batch; if the root is holy, so are the branches.
If the first handful of dough is holy, so is the whole mass, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.
17 Now if some branches have been broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others to share in the nourishment of the olive root,
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 over those branches. If you do, remember this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.
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 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.”
But branches, you will say, were broken off, so that I might be grafted in.
20 That is correct: They were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid.
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 did not spare the natural branches, He will certainly not spare you either.
For, if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.
22 Take notice, therefore, of the kindness and severity of God: severity to those who fell, but kindness to you, if you continue in His kindness. Otherwise you also 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 if they do not persist in unbelief, they 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 you were cut from a wild olive tree, and contrary to nature were grafted into one that is cultivated, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, 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, on a good olive, much more will they – the natural branches – be grafted back into their parent tree.
25 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not be conceited: A hardening in part has come to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.
My friends, so that you don’t 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 until the whole Gentile world has been gathered in.
26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come from Zion; He will remove godlessness from Jacob.
And then all Israel will be saved. As scripture says – “From Zion will come the Deliverer; he will banish ungodliness from Jacob.
27 And this is My covenant with them when I take away their sins.”
And they will see the fulfilment of my covenant, when I have taken away their sins.”
28 Regarding the gospel, they are enemies on your account; but regarding election, they are loved on account of the patriarchs.
From the standpoint of the good news, the Jews are God’s enemies for your sake; but from the standpoint of God’s selection, they are dear to him for the sake of the patriarchs.
29 For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable.
For God never regrets his gifts or his call.
30 Just as you who formerly disobeyed God have now received mercy through their disobedience,
Just as you at one time were disobedient to him, but have now found mercy in the day of their disobedience;
31 so they too have now disobeyed, in order that they too may now receive mercy through the mercy shown to you.
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 consigned everyone to disobedience so that He may have mercy on everyone. (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 the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways!
Oh! The unfathomable wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments, how untraceable his ways! Yes –
34 “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor?”
ho has ever comprehended the mind of the Lord? Who has ever become his counsellor?
35 “Who has first given to God, that God should repay him?”
Or who has first given to him, so that he may claim a reward?
