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.
But I say: Hath God cast off his people? Far be it. For I also am of Israel, 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 hath not cast off those his people whom he before knew. Do ye not know, what, in the scripture of God, he said to Elijah? When he had complained to God against Israel, and said:
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"?
My Lord, they have slain thy prophets, and have thrown down thy altars; and I am left 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."
And it was said to him, by revelation: Behold, I have reserved for myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed their knees, and have not worshipped 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 also at the present time, a remnant is preserved, by the election of grace.
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.
But if by grace, it is not by works: otherwise, grace is not grace. And if by works, it is not by grace: Otherwise, work is not work.
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? Israel did not obtain that which it sought: but the election obtained it; and the rest of them were blinded in their heart,
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 gave them a stupid spirit, and eyes to see not, and ears to hear not, ) unto this very day.
9 And David says, "Let their very food become a snare and a trap to them, a stumbling-block and a retribution.
And again, David said: Let their table become a snare before them; and let their recompense be a stumbling block.
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, that they see not; and let their back, at all times, be bowed down.
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;
But I say: Have they so stumbled as to fall entirely? Far be it. Rather, by their stumbling, life hath come to the Gentiles, for awakening their jealousy.
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?
And if their stumbling was riches to the world, and their condemnation riches to the Gentiles; how much more their completeness?
13 But to you Gentiles I say that, since I am an Apostle specially sent to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry,
But it is to you Gentiles, I am speaking: as I am a legate to the Gentiles, I honor my ministry;
14 trying whether I can succeed in rousing my own countrymen to jealousy and thus save some of them.
if, perhaps, I may provoke emulation in the children of my flesh, and may vivify 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 rejection of them, was a reconciliation of the world; what will their conversion 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.
For, if the first-fruits are holy, then the mass is also: and if the root is holy, then also 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,
And if some of the branches were plucked off; and thou, an olive from the desert, wast in-grafted in their place, and hast become a participator of the root and fatness of the olive-tree;
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.
do not glory over the branches. For if thou gloriest, thou sustainest not the root, but the root sustaineth thee.
19 "Branches have been lopped off," you will say, "for the sake of my being grafted in."
And shouldst thou say, The branches were plucked off, that I might be grafted into their place.
20 This is true; yet it was their unbelief that cut them off, and you only stand through your faith.
Very true. They were plucked off, because they believed not; and thou standest by faith. Be not exalted in thy mind, 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 he will not 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 now the benignity and the severity of God: on them who fell, severity; but on thee, benignity, if thou continuest in that benignity; and if not, thou also wilt be plucked 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 they, if they do not continue in their destitution of faith, even they will 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 thou wast plucked from the wild olive-tree, which was natural to thee, and wast grafted, contrary to thy nature, into a good olive-tree; how much more may they be grafted into their natural olive-tree?
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;
And that ye, my brethren, may not be wise in your own apprehension, I wish you to know this mystery, that blindness of heart hath in some measure befallen Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles shall 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 then, will all Israel live. As it is written: A deliverer will come from Zion, and will turn away iniquity from Jacob.
27 and this shall be My Covenant with them; when I have taken away their sins."
And then will they have the covenant that proceedeth from me, when I shall have forgiven 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.
Now, in the gospel, they are enemies for your sake; but in the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sake.
29 For God does not repent of His free gifts nor of His call;
For God is not changeable in his free gift and in his calling.
30 but just as you were formerly disobedient to Him, but now have received mercy at a time when they are disobedient,
For as ye too were formerly disobedient to God, and have now obtained mercy, because of 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.
so also are they now disobedient to the mercy, which is upon you, that there may be mercy on them likewise.
32 For God has locked up all in the prison of unbelief, that upon all alike He may have mercy. (eleēsē g1653)
For God hath shut up all men in disobedience, that upon all men he might have mercy. (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!
O the depth of the riches, and the wisdom, and the knowledge of God! For man hath not searched out his judgments; and his ways are inscrutable.
34 "Who has ever known the mind of the Lord, or shared His counsels?"
For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or who hath been a counsellor to him?
35 "Who has first given God anything, so as to receive payment in return?"
Or who hath first given to him, and then received from him?
