< Romanos 11 >
1 dico ergo numquid reppulit Deus populum suum absit nam et ego Israhelita sum ex semine Abraham tribu Beniamin
Because of that, [if anyone should ask], “Has God rejected his people [the Jews?” I would declare that] he certainly has not [rejected all of us! You can realize that by remembering that] I also belong to the [people of] Israel. I am a descendant of Abraham, and I belong to the tribe of Benjamin, [but God has not rejected me]!
2 non reppulit Deus plebem suam quam praesciit an nescitis in Helia quid dicit scriptura quemadmodum interpellat Deum adversus Israhel
No, God has not rejected his people, whom he chose long ago [to be people whom he would bless in a special way]. Remember [RHQ] what is written [PRS] in the Scriptures about Elijah when he [mistakenly] complained to God about [the people of] Israel, saying,
3 Domine prophetas tuos occiderunt altaria tua suffoderunt et ego relictus sum solus et quaerunt animam meam
“Lord, they have killed [the rest of] your [(sg)] prophets, they have destroyed your altars. I am the only one [who believes in you] who remains [alive], and now they are trying to kill me!”
4 sed quid dicit illi responsum divinum reliqui mihi septem milia virorum qui non curvaverunt genu Baal
God answered him like this: “[You(sg) are not the only one who believes in me]! I have protected for myself [not just you, but] 7,000 [other] men who have not worshipped [the false god] Baal. (Remember that!/Do you not remember that?) [RHQ]”
5 sic ergo et in hoc tempore reliquiae secundum electionem gratiae factae sunt
So, similarly, there is also at this time a small group [of us Jews] who have become [believers. God] has chosen us [to become believers] (OR, [his people]) only because he acts kindly toward us, in ways that we do not deserve.
6 si autem gratia non ex operibus alioquin gratia iam non est gratia
Since it is because he acts kindly [toward those whom he chooses, it is] not because they have done good things [that he has chosen them]. If [God chose people because they did good deeds], then it would not be because he was acting toward them in a way that they did not deserve.
7 quid ergo quod quaerebat Israhel hoc non est consecutus electio autem consecuta est ceteri vero excaecati sunt
[Since God chose only some people of Israel], [this is what I conclude: [RHQ] Most of the people of] Israel did not find [the way for him to erase the record of their sins], even though some of them were earnestly looking for it. The [people of Israel whom God had] chosen found it, but the rest [of them] were {[God]} made spiritually insensitive/unresponsive.
8 sicut scriptum est dedit illis Deus spiritum conpunctionis oculos ut non videant et aures ut non audiant usque in hodiernum diem
[Our] fellow Jews are just like the [ones] about whom Isaiah wrote, God (caused their senses to be dull/made them unable to think clearly). Up to this very day, [they have] eyes but they cannot see [spiritually] [MET]. [They have] ears, but they cannot understand [spiritually] what they hear.
9 et David dicit fiat mensa eorum in laqueum et in captionem et in scandalum et in retributionem illis
And [they remind me of what King] David said, [when he asked God to cause his enemies’ senses to be dull] [MET], [Make them stupid] [MTY], [like animals that are] caught in snares! May they [feel secure because of the things that they enjoy but which will catch them like a] trap [DOU, MET], with the result that you will destroy them.
10 obscurentur oculi eorum ne videant et dorsum illorum semper incurva
May their ability to perceive [danger] be dulled {Dull their ability to perceive [spiritually]} [MET], with the result that they will not [become alarmed] [MET] [when there is danger]. May you cause them to carry heavy loads on their backs continually [as slaves do] [MTY].
11 dico ergo numquid sic offenderunt ut caderent absit sed illorum delicto salus gentibus ut illos aemulentur
[Perhaps someone will ask], “[When the Jews] sinned [by not believing in Christ, did] it result in their separating themselves from God [permanently?]” Then I [would reply], [No], they have certainly not [separated themselves from God permanently]! What is happening is that because they sinned, [God] is saving non-Jews in order to cause [the Jews] to envy [the way he blesses non-Jews and so ask Christ to save them].
12 quod si delictum illorum divitiae sunt mundi et deminutio eorum divitiae gentium quanto magis plenitudo eorum
[When the Jews] sinned (OR, rejected Christ), [the result was that God] abundantly [blessed other people in] [MTY] the world by [offering them the opportunity to believe]. And [when the Jews] failed [spiritually, the result was that God] abundantly [blessed] the non-Jews. Since that is true, think how wonderful it will be when the complete number [of the Jews whom God has chosen will believe in Christ] [RHQ]!
13 vobis enim dico gentibus quamdiu quidem ego sum gentium apostolus ministerium meum honorificabo
Now it is to you non-Jews that I am saying [what follows]. I am the one who is the apostle to non-Jews, and I highly esteem this work [that God appointed] me to do.
14 si quo modo ad aemulandum provocem carnem meam et salvos faciam aliquos ex illis
But I also hope that [by my labors] I will make my fellow Jews (jealous/want what you non-Jews have), [with the result that] some of them will [believe and] be saved.
15 si enim amissio eorum reconciliatio est mundi quae adsumptio nisi vita ex mortuis
[God] has rejected [most of my fellow Jews because they refused to believe, with the result that] he reconciled [many other people in] the world [MTY] [to himself]. But he will accept [my fellow Jews again when they trust in Christ]! And (this is what the result will be./do you know what the result will be?) [RHQ] It will be [as though God is making them] alive again after they have been dead!
16 quod si delibatio sancta est et massa et si radix sancta et rami
[Just like] the whole lump [of dough] will belong to God if [people offer] to God [MET] the [bread baked from] the first part [of it] [MET], [so the Jews will belong to God because their ancestors belonged to God]. And just like the branches [of a tree] will be good if the roots are good [MET], [so the descendants of our great Jewish ancestors who belonged to God will also some day belong to God].
17 quod si aliqui ex ramis fracti sunt tu autem cum oleaster esses insertus es in illis et socius radicis et pinguidinis olivae factus es
[God has rejected] many of [the Jews] [MET], [like] branches [of a tree] are broken off {[like people] break off [dead] branches [of a tree]}. And each of you [non-Jews whom God has accepted is like] [MET] [a branch of] a wild/uncultivated olive tree [that] was {[that someone]} grafted among the branches (OR, onto one of the branches) [that were left on a cultivated olive tree]. [God has caused] you [to benefit from how he blessed our(exc) first Jewish ancestors, as branches] benefit from the nutritious sap from the roots of a [cultivated] olive tree [MET].
18 noli gloriari adversus ramos quod si gloriaris non tu radicem portas sed radix te
However, you [non-Jews] must not despise [the Jews whom God rejected] [MET], [who are like] the branches that [were broken off from the tree] If any of you [wants to] boast [about having received blessings from God], [remember this: Branches] do not nourish the roots. Instead the roots nourish [the branches] [MET]. [Similarly, you are blessed by God because of what] you [have received from the Jews! It is not what the Jews have received from] you [that blesses them] [MET]!
19 dices ergo fracti sunt rami ut ego inserar
If one of you then says, “[God rejected the Jews] [MET] [like] branches [MET] that are broken {that people broke} off [a tree and rejected], in order that [he might accept us non-Jews, as] branches [MET] of a tree are grafted in {[as people] graft in branches of a tree},”
20 bene propter incredulitatem fracti sunt tu autem fide stas noli altum sapere sed time
[I would reply that] this is true. However, it is because the Jews did not believe [in Christ] that they were rejected [MET] {that [God] rejected [MET] them}. As for you, it is [only] because you believe [in Christ] that [God has accepted] you! [So] do not [any of you] become proud, but instead beware [of what could happen to you]
21 si enim Deus naturalibus ramis non pepercit ne forte nec tibi parcat
Since God did not spare [the unbelieving Jews] [MET] [who were like a tree’s] natural branches, he will not spare any of you [if you do] not [keep trusting in him]!
22 vide ergo bonitatem et severitatem Dei in eos quidem qui ceciderunt severitatem in te autem bonitatem Dei si permanseris in bonitate alioquin et tu excideris
Note then, that God acts kindly, but he also acts severely. He has acted severely toward [the Jews] who have stopped trusting in him. On the other hand, he acts kindly toward each of you [non-Jews only] if you continue [to appreciate his acting] kindly [toward you]. However, you will be rejected {[he] will reject you} if you do not [keep trusting in him].
23 sed et illi si non permanserint in incredulitate inserentur potens est enim Deus iterum inserere illos
And if the Jews believe [in Christ] [LIT], God also will [reunite them to himself as] branches are grafted {[as people] graft branches} into [a tree again], because God is able to do that.
24 nam si tu ex naturali excisus es oleastro et contra naturam insertus es in bonam olivam quanto magis hii secundum naturam inserentur suae olivae
Each of you [non-Jews who were previously separated from God has benefited from the ways in which God blessed the Jews] [MET]. [That is like taking branches] that have been cut {that someone has cut} from a wild olive tree that just grew [without being planted] {[someone planting it]} and, contrary to what people usually do, grafting them into a cultivated olive tree. So God will much more readily [receive back the Jews because they belonged to him before] [MET]! [That will be like] the original branches [that had been cut off] being grafted {like grafting the original branches [that someone cut off], } back into the olive tree to which they [originally belonged]!
25 nolo enim vos ignorare fratres mysterium hoc ut non sitis vobis ipsis sapientes quia caecitas ex parte contigit in Israhel donec plenitudo gentium intraret
My [non-Jewish] fellow believers, I certainly want you to understand [LIT] this truth that God has now revealed [about my fellow Jews who are refusing to believe]. You should not proudly think [that] God [now favors you] more [than the Jews] (OR, [that you understand God’s further plans for the Jews]). Many [people of] Israel will continue to be stubborn until all the non-Jews [whom God has chosen have believed in Jesus].
26 et sic omnis Israhel salvus fieret sicut scriptum est veniet ex Sion qui eripiat avertet impietates ab Iacob
And then all [HYP] [the people of] Israel will be saved {[God] will save all [HYP] [the people of] Israel}. Then these words that are written {that [a prophet] wrote} [in the Scriptures will] ([become true/be fulfilled]): The one who sets [his people] free will originate from [the place where] God dwells (OR, from the Jews) [MTY]. Then he will remove the guilt of the Israelite people (OR, descendants of Jacob) [MTY].
27 et hoc illis a me testamentum cum abstulero peccata eorum
And [as God says], The contract that I will make with them is that I will forgive their sins.
28 secundum evangelium quidem inimici propter vos secundum electionem autem carissimi propter patres
With regard to [the Jews rejecting] the good message [about Christ, God treats] them as enemies, which has benefited you [non-Jews]. But in regard to [their being the people whom God] chose, [God still] loves them because of [what he promised] their ancestors.
29 sine paenitentia enim sunt dona et vocatio Dei
[He still loves them], because he never changed his mind about the privileges/blessings he [gave to them] and about his choosing [them to be his people].
30 sicut enim aliquando et vos non credidistis Deo nunc autem misericordiam consecuti estis propter illorum incredulitatem
You [non-Jews] once disobeyed God, but now he has acted mercifully towards you because the [Jews] disobeyed him.
31 ita et isti nunc non crediderunt in vestram misericordiam ut et ipsi misericordiam consequantur
Now the Jews have disobeyed God. The result is that by the very same way in which he acted mercifully towards you, he will act mercifully towards them [again].
32 conclusit enim Deus omnia in incredulitatem ut omnium misereatur (eleēsē )
God has declared and proved that all people, [both Jews and non-Jews] [MET], disobey ([him/his laws]). He has declared that because he wants to act mercifully towards us all. (eleēsē )
33 o altitudo divitiarum sapientiae et scientiae Dei quam inconprehensibilia sunt iudicia eius et investigabiles viae eius
[I marvel how] vast and great are the wise things that God [has done] and what he has [always] known [DOU]! We are completely unable to understand the things that he has decided and the ways [in which he acts toward us] [DOU]!
34 quis enim cognovit sensum Domini aut quis consiliarius eius fuit
[I remember the Scriptures that say], (No one has known what the Lord thinks./Who has known what the Lord thinks?) [RHQ] (Absolutely no one has given him advice [about what he should do!]/Who has advised him [about what he should do]?) [RHQ]
35 aut quis prior dedit illi et retribuetur ei
And, (No one has given anything to God that [he did not previously receive from God!]/Has anyone given anything to God that [he did not previously receive from God]?) [RHQ] So God (is not obligated to/does not have to) pay back anything to anyone!
36 quoniam ex ipso et per ipsum et in ipso omnia ipsi gloria in saecula amen (aiōn )
God [is the one who created] all things. He is also the one who [sustains all things]. The reason that he created them was that [everything he created might praise] him. May [all people] honor him forever! (May it be so!/Amen!) (aiōn )