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, 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 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 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 pulled down your altars, and I only am left; and now they are eager to take 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 what was the divine response? ‘I have kept for myself seven thousand who have never 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 And so in our own time, too, there is to be found a remnant of our nation selected by God in love.
In the same way also at the present time there has come to be a remnant whom God in His grace has selected.
6 But if in love, then it is not as a result of obedience. Otherwise love would cease to be love.
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 follows from this? Why, that Israel as a nation failed to secure what it was seeking, while those whom God selected did secure it.
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 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.’
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, too, says – ‘May their feasts prove a snare and a trap to them – a hindrance and a retribution;
And David says, "Let their very food become a snare and a trap to them, a stumbling-block and a retribution.
10 may their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see; and do you always make their backs to bend.’
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 – ‘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, 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 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!
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 But I am speaking to you who were Gentiles.
But to you Gentiles I say that, since I am an Apostle specially sent to the Gentiles, I take pride in 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.
trying whether I can succeed in rousing my own countrymen to jealousy and thus 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 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 handful of dough is holy, so is the whole mass, and 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 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.
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 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.
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 But branches, you will say, were broken off, so that I might be grafted in.
"Branches have been lopped off," you will say, "for the sake of my being 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.
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, 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.
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 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.
Moreover, if they turn from their unbelief, they too will be grafted in. For God is powerful enough 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.
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 My friends, so that you don’t think too highly of yourselves, I want you to recognize 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 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 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. As is declared in Scripture, "From Mount Zion a Deliverer will come: He will remove all ungodliness from Jacob;
27 And they will see the fulfillment of my covenant, when I have taken away their sins.’
and this shall be My Covenant with them; when I have taken 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.
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 God never regrets his gifts or his call.
For God does not repent of His free gifts nor of His call;
30 Just as you at one time were disobedient to him, but have now found mercy in the day of their disobedience;
but just as you were formerly disobedient to Him, but now have received mercy at a time when they are disobedient,
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.
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.
32 For God has given all alike over to disobedience, that to all alike he may show mercy. (eleēsē g1653)
For God has locked up all in the prison of unbelief, that upon all alike He may have mercy. (eleēsē g1653)
33 Oh! The unfathomable wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments, how untraceable his ways! Yes –
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 ho has ever comprehended the mind of the Lord? Who has ever become his counsellor?
"Who has ever known the mind of the Lord, or shared His counsels?"
35 Or who has first given to him, so that he may claim a reward?
"Who has first given God anything, so as to receive payment in return?"
