Romans 11
1 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.
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.
2 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?
God didn’t reject his people, whom he foreknew. Or don’t you know what the Scripture says about Elijah? How he pleads with God against Israel:
3 “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.”
“Lord, they have killed your prophets. They have broken down your altars. I am left alone, and they seek my life.”
4 But what was the divine response? “I have kept for myself seven thousand who have never bowed the knee to Baal.”
But how does God answer him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”
5 And so in our own time, too, there is to be found a remnant of our nation selected by God in love.
Even so too at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
6 But if in love, then it is not as a result of obedience. Otherwise love would cease to be love.
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.
7 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.
What then? That which Israel seeks for, that he didn’t obtain, but the chosen ones obtained it, and the rest were hardened.
8 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.”
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.”
9 David, too, says – “May their feasts prove a snare and a trap to them – a hindrance and a retribution;
David says, “Let their table be made a snare, a trap, a stumbling block, and a retribution to them.
10 may their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see; and do you always make their backs to bend.”
Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see. Always keep their backs bent.”
11 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.
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.
12 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!
Now if their fall is the riches of the world, and their loss the riches of the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!
13 But I am speaking to you who were Gentiles.
For I speak to you who are Gentiles. Since then as I am an emissary to Gentiles, I glorify my ministry,
14 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.
if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh, and may save some of them.
15 For, if their being cast aside has meant the reconciliation of the world, what will their reception mean, but life from the dead?
For if the rejection of them is the reconciling of the world, what would their acceptance be, but life from the dead?
16 If the first handful of dough is holy, so is the whole mass, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.
If the first fruit is holy, so is the lump. If the root is holy, so are the branches.
17 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.
But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in amongst them and became partaker with them of the root and of the richness of the olive tree,
18 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.
don’t boast over the branches. But if you boast, remember that it is not you who support the root, but the root supports you.
19 But branches, you will say, were broken off, so that I might be grafted in.
You will say then, “Branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.”
20 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.
True; by their unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by your faith. Don’t be conceited, but fear;
21 For, if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.
for if God didn’t spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.
22 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.
See then the goodness and severity of God. Towards those who fell, severity; but towards you, goodness, if you continue in his goodness; otherwise you also will be cut off.
23 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.
They also, if they don’t continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
24 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.
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?
25 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.
For I don’t desire you to be ignorant, brothers, of this mystery, so that you won’t be wise in your own conceits, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in,
26 And then all Israel will be saved. As scripture says – “From Zion will come the Deliverer; he will banish ungodliness from Jacob.
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.
27 And they will see the fulfilment of my covenant, when I have taken away their sins.”
This is my covenant with them, when I will take away their sins.”
28 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.
Concerning the Good News, they are enemies for your sake. But concerning the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sake.
29 For God never regrets his gifts or his call.
For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
30 Just as you at one time were disobedient to him, but have now found mercy in the day of their disobedience;
For as you in time past were disobedient to God, but now have obtained mercy by their disobedience,
31 so, too, they have now become disobedient in your day of mercy, in order that they also in their turn may now find mercy.
even so these also have now been disobedient, that by the mercy shown to you they may also obtain mercy.
32 For God has given all alike over to disobedience, that to all alike he may show mercy. (eleēsē g1653)
For God has bound all to disobedience, that he might have mercy on all. (eleēsē g1653)
33 Oh! The unfathomable wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments, how untraceable his ways! Yes –
Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgements, and his ways past tracing out!
34 ho has ever comprehended the mind of the Lord? Who has ever become his counsellor?
“For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counsellor?”
35 Or who has first given to him, so that he may claim a reward?
“Or who has first given to him, and it will be repaid to him again?”
