Romans 11
1 So I say, Has God put his people on one side? Let there be no such thought. For I am of Israel, of the seed 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 put away the people of his selection. Or have you no knowledge of what is said about Elijah in the holy Writings? how he says words 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 put your prophets to death, and made waste your altars, and now I am the last, and they are searching for me to take away 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 answer does God make to him? I have still seven thousand men whose knees have not been bent 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 In the same way, there are at this present time some who are marked out by the selection of grace.
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 it is of grace, then it is no longer of works: or grace would not be grace.
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 then? That which Israel was searching for he did not get, but those of the selection got it and the rest were made hard.
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 As it was said in the holy Writings, God gave them a spirit of sleep, eyes which might not see, and ears which have no hearing, to this 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 And David says, Let their table be made a net for taking them, and a stone in their way, and a punishment:
And David says, "Let their very food become a snare and a trap to them, a stumbling-block and a retribution.
10 Let their eyes be made dark so that they may not see, and let their back be bent down at all times.
Let darkness come over their eyes that they may be unable to see, and make Thou their backs continually to stoop."
11 So I say, Were their steps made hard in order that they might have a fall? In no way: but by their fall salvation has come to the Gentiles, so that they might be moved to envy.
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 Now, if their fall is the wealth of the world, and their loss the wealth of the Gentiles, how much greater will be the glory when they are made full?
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 say to you, Gentiles, in so far as I am the Apostle of the Gentiles, I make much of my position:
But to you Gentiles I say that, since I am an Apostle specially sent to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry,
14 If in any way those who are of my flesh may be moved to envy, so that some of them may get salvation by me.
trying whether I can succeed in rousing my own countrymen to jealousy and thus save some of them.
15 For, if by their putting away, the rest of men have been made friends with God, what will their coming back again be, 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 And if the first-fruit is holy, so is the 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 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, an olive-tree of the fields, were put in among them, and were given a part with them in the root by which the olive-tree is made fertile,
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 Do not be uplifted in pride over the branches: because it is not you who are the support of the root, but it is by the root that you are supported.
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 You will say, Branches were broken off so that I might be put in.
"Branches have been lopped off," you will say, "for the sake of my being grafted in."
20 Truly, because they had no faith they were broken off, and you have your place by reason of your faith. Do not be lifted up in pride, but have fear;
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 have mercy on the natural branches, he will not have mercy on 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 that God is good but his rules are fixed: to those who were put away he was hard, but to you he has been good, on the condition that you keep in his mercy; if not, you will be cut off as they were.
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, if they do not go on without faith, will be united to the tree again, because God is able to put 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 For if you were cut out of a field olive-tree, and against the natural use were united to a good olive-tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be united again with the olive-tree which was theirs?
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 For it is my desire, brothers, that this secret may be clear to you, so that you may not have pride in your knowledge, that Israel has been made hard in part, till all the Gentiles have come 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 so all Israel will get salvation: as it is said in the holy Writings, There will come out of Zion the One who makes free; by him wrongdoing will be taken away 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 this is my agreement with them, when I will take away their sins.
and this shall be My Covenant with them; when I have taken away their sins."
28 As far as the good news is in question, they are cut off from God on account of you, but as far as the selection is in question, they are loved on account of the fathers.
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 Because God's selection and his mercies may not be changed.
For God does not repent of His free gifts nor of His call;
30 For as you, in time past, were not under the rule of God, but now have got mercy through their turning away,
but just as you were formerly disobedient to Him, but now have received mercy at a time when they are disobedient,
31 So in the same way these have gone against the orders of God, so that by the mercy given to you they may now get 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 let them all go against his orders, so that he might have mercy on them all. (eleēsē g1653)
For God has locked up all in the prison of unbelief, that upon all alike He may have mercy. (eleēsē g1653)
33 O how deep is the wealth of the wisdom and knowledge of God! no one is able to make discovery of his decisions, and his ways may not be searched out.
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 Who has knowledge of the mind of the Lord? or who has taken part in his purposes?
"Who has ever known the mind of the Lord, or shared His counsels?"
35 Or who has first given to him, and it will be given back to him again?
"Who has first given God anything, so as to receive payment in return?"
