Προς Ρωμαιους 11
1 λεγω ουν μη απωσατο ο θεος τον λαον αυτου μη γενοιτο και γαρ εγω ισραηλιτης ειμι εκ σπερματος αβρααμ φυλης βενιαμιν
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 ουκ απωσατο ο θεος τον λαον αυτου ον προεγνω η ουκ οιδατε εν ηλια τι λεγει η γραφη ως εντυγχανει τω θεω κατα του ισραηλ
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 κυριε τους προφητας σου απεκτειναν τα θυσιαστηρια σου κατεσκαψαν καγω υπελειφθην μονος και ζητουσιν την ψυχην μου
‘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 αλλα τι λεγει αυτω ο χρηματισμος κατελιπον εμαυτω επτακισχιλιους ανδρας οιτινες ουκ εκαμψαν γονυ τη βααλ
But what was the divine response? ‘I have kept for myself seven thousand who have never bowed the knee to Baal.’
5 ουτως ουν και εν τω νυν καιρω λειμμα κατ εκλογην χαριτος γεγονεν
And so in our own time, too, there is to be found a remnant of our nation selected by God in love.
6 ει δε χαριτι ουκετι εξ εργων επει η χαρις ουκετι γινεται χαρις
But if in love, then it is not as a result of obedience. Otherwise love would cease to be love.
7 τι ουν ο επιζητει ισραηλ τουτο ουκ επετυχεν η δε εκλογη επετυχεν οι δε λοιποι επωρωθησαν
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 {VAR1: καθαπερ } {VAR2: καθως } γεγραπται εδωκεν αυτοις ο θεος πνευμα κατανυξεως οφθαλμους του μη βλεπειν και ωτα του μη ακουειν εως της σημερον ημερας
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 και δαυιδ λεγει γενηθητω η τραπεζα αυτων εις παγιδα και εις θηραν και εις σκανδαλον και εις ανταποδομα αυτοις
David, too, says – ‘May their feasts prove a snare and a trap to them – a hindrance and a retribution;
10 σκοτισθητωσαν οι οφθαλμοι αυτων του μη βλεπειν και τον νωτον αυτων δια παντος συγκαμψον
may their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see; and do you always make their backs to bend.’
11 λεγω ουν μη επταισαν ινα πεσωσιν μη γενοιτο αλλα τω αυτων παραπτωματι η σωτηρια τοις εθνεσιν εις το παραζηλωσαι αυτους
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 ει δε το παραπτωμα αυτων πλουτος κοσμου και το ηττημα αυτων πλουτος εθνων ποσω μαλλον το πληρωμα αυτων
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 υμιν δε λεγω τοις εθνεσιν εφ οσον μεν ουν ειμι εγω εθνων αποστολος την διακονιαν μου δοξαζω
But I am speaking to you who were Gentiles.
14 ει πως παραζηλωσω μου την σαρκα και σωσω τινας εξ αυτων
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 ει γαρ η αποβολη αυτων καταλλαγη κοσμου τις η προσλημψις ει μη ζωη εκ νεκρων
For, if their being cast aside has meant the reconciliation of the world, what will their reception mean, but life from the dead?
16 ει δε η απαρχη αγια και το φυραμα και ει η ριζα αγια και οι κλαδοι
If the first handful of dough is holy, so is the whole mass, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.
17 ει δε τινες των κλαδων εξεκλασθησαν συ δε αγριελαιος ων ενεκεντρισθης εν αυτοις και συγκοινωνος της ριζης της πιοτητος της ελαιας εγενου
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 μη κατακαυχω των κλαδων ει δε κατακαυχασαι ου συ την ριζαν βασταζεις αλλα η ριζα σε
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 ερεις ουν εξεκλασθησαν κλαδοι ινα εγω εγκεντρισθω
But branches, you will say, were broken off, so that I might be grafted in.
20 καλως τη απιστια εξεκλασθησαν συ δε τη πιστει εστηκας μη υψηλα φρονει αλλα φοβου
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 ει γαρ ο θεος των κατα φυσιν κλαδων ουκ εφεισατο {VAR2: [μη πως] } ουδε σου φεισεται
For, if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.
22 ιδε ουν χρηστοτητα και αποτομιαν θεου επι μεν τους πεσοντας αποτομια επι δε σε χρηστοτης θεου εαν επιμενης τη χρηστοτητι επει και συ εκκοπηση
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 κακεινοι δε εαν μη επιμενωσιν τη απιστια εγκεντρισθησονται δυνατος γαρ εστιν ο θεος παλιν εγκεντρισαι αυτους
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 ει γαρ συ εκ της κατα φυσιν εξεκοπης αγριελαιου και παρα φυσιν ενεκεντρισθης εις καλλιελαιον ποσω μαλλον ουτοι οι κατα φυσιν εγκεντρισθησονται τη ιδια ελαια
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 ου γαρ θελω υμας αγνοειν αδελφοι το μυστηριον τουτο ινα μη ητε {VAR1: εν } {VAR2: [παρ] } εαυτοις φρονιμοι οτι πωρωσις απο μερους τω ισραηλ γεγονεν αχρις ου το πληρωμα των εθνων εισελθη
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.
26 και ουτως πας ισραηλ σωθησεται καθως γεγραπται ηξει εκ σιων ο ρυομενος αποστρεψει ασεβειας απο ιακωβ
And then all Israel will be saved. As scripture says – ‘From Zion will come the Deliverer; he will banish ungodliness from Jacob.
27 και αυτη αυτοις η παρ εμου διαθηκη οταν αφελωμαι τας αμαρτιας αυτων
And they will see the fulfillment of my covenant, when I have taken away their sins.’
28 κατα μεν το ευαγγελιον εχθροι δι υμας κατα δε την εκλογην αγαπητοι δια τους πατερας
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 αμεταμελητα γαρ τα χαρισματα και η κλησις του θεου
For God never regrets his gifts or his call.
30 ωσπερ γαρ υμεις ποτε ηπειθησατε τω θεω νυν δε ηλεηθητε τη τουτων απειθεια
Just as you at one time were disobedient to him, but have now found mercy in the day of their disobedience;
31 ουτως και ουτοι νυν ηπειθησαν τω υμετερω ελεει ινα και αυτοι {VAR1: νυν } {VAR2: [νυν] } ελεηθωσιν
so, too, they have now become disobedient in your day of mercy, in order that they also in their turn may now find mercy.
For God has given all alike over to disobedience, that to all alike he may show mercy. (eleēsē g1653)
33 ω βαθος πλουτου και σοφιας και γνωσεως θεου ως ανεξεραυνητα τα κριματα αυτου και ανεξιχνιαστοι αι οδοι αυτου
Oh! The unfathomable wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments, how untraceable his ways! Yes –
34 τις γαρ εγνω νουν κυριου η τις συμβουλος αυτου εγενετο
ho has ever comprehended the mind of the Lord? Who has ever become his counsellor?
35 η τις προεδωκεν αυτω και ανταποδοθησεται αυτω
Or who has first given to him, so that he may claim a reward?
