Romans 11
1 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.
I say, then, has God cast off his people? By no means. For, even I am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
2 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,
God has not cast off his people whom formerly he acknowledged. Do you not know, what the scripture says to Elijah; when he complains to God against Israel, saying,
3 "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"?
"Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and have digged down thy altars, and I am let alone, and they seek my life?"
4 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."
But what says the answer to God to him? "I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal."
5 In the same way also at the present time there has come to be a remnant whom God in His grace has selected.
So, then, even at this present time, there is a remnant according to an election by favor.
6 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.
And if by favor, it is no more of works: otherwise favor is no more favor.
7 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.
What then? The thing Israel earnestly seeks, that he has not obtained. But the election has obtained it, and the rest are blinded.
8 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."
As it is written, "God has given them a spirit of deep sleep; eyes not seeing, and ears not hearing, until this present day."
9 And David says, "Let their very food become a snare and a trap to them, a stumbling-block and a retribution.
And David says, "Let their table be for a snare, and a trap, and a stumbling block, and a recompense to them.
10 Let darkness come over their eyes that they may be unable to see, and make Thou their backs continually to stoop."
Let their eyes be darkened, so as not to see; and let them bow down their back continually.
11 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;
I ask, then, have they stumbled, that they may fall? By no means. But, through their fall, salvation is given to the Gentiles, to excite them to emulation.
12 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?
Now, if the fall of them be the riches of the world; and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fullness?
13 But to you Gentiles I say that, since I am an Apostle specially sent to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry,
Now, I speak to you, Gentiles, (and inasmuch as I am the Apostle to the Gentiles, I do honor to my ministry, )
14 trying whether I can succeed in rousing my own countrymen to jealousy and thus save some of them.
if by any means I may excite to emulation my kindred, and may save some of them.
15 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?
For, if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world; what will the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?
16 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.
Moreover, if the first fruit be holy, the mass is also holy; and if the root be holy, so are the branches.
17 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,
Now, if some of the branches were broken off, and you who are a wild olive, are ingrafted among them, and are become a joint partaker of the root and fatness of the olive;
18 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.
boast not against the branches: but if you boast, still, you bear not the root, but the root you.
19 "Branches have been lopped off," you will say, "for the sake of my being grafted in."
You will say, however, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.
20 This is true; yet it was their unbelief that cut them off, and you only stand through your faith.
True: by unbelief they were broken off, and you by faith, stand. Be not high-minded, but fear.
21 Do not be puffed up with pride. Tremble rather--for if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you.
For, if God spared not the natural branches; perhaps, neither will he spare you.
22 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.
Behold, then, the goodness and severity of God! Toward them who fell, severity: but toward you, goodness, if you continue in his goodness: otherwise, you also shall be cut off.
23 Moreover, if they turn from their unbelief, they too will be grafted in. For God is powerful enough to graft them in again;
And even they, if they continued not in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.
24 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?
For if you were cut off from the olive, by nature wild, and were contrary to nature, grafted into the good olive; how much rather shall those who are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive?
25 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;
For, brethren, that you may not be, wise in your own conceits, I would not have you ignorant of this secret, that blindness, in part, has happened to Israel, till the fullness of the Gentiles come in.
26 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;
And so all Israel shall be saved; as it is written, "The deliverer shall come out of Zion, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.
27 and this shall be My Covenant with them; when I have taken away their sins."
For this is my covenant with them, when I shall take away their sins."
28 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.
With respect to the gospel, indeed, they are enemies, on your account: but with respect to the election, they are beloved on account of the fathers.
29 For God does not repent of His free gifts nor of His call;
For the free gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
30 but just as you were formerly disobedient to Him, but now have received mercy at a time when they are disobedient,
Besides, as you, in times past, have disobeyed God, yet now have obtained mercy through their disobedience;
31 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.
even so these, also, have no disobeyed, that through your mercy, they also may obtain mercy.
32 For God has locked up all in the prison of unbelief, that upon all alike He may have mercy. (eleēsē g1653)
For God has shut up together all for disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all. (eleēsē g1653)
33 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!
Oh that depth of the riches and of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
34 "Who has ever known the mind of the Lord, or shared His counsels?"
For who has known the mind of the Lord? or who has been his counsellor?
35 "Who has first given God anything, so as to receive payment in return?"
or who has first given to him, and it shall be recompensed to him again?
