Romans 11
1 Therefore, I say: Has God driven away his people? Let it not be so! For I, too, am an Israelite of the offspring of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.
I ask then, did God reject His people? Certainly not! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.
2 God has not driven away his people, whom he foreknew. And do you not know what Scripture says in Elijah, how he calls upon God against Israel?
God did not reject His people, whom He foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says about Elijah, how he appealed to God against Israel:
3 “Lord, they have slain your Prophets. They have overturned your altars. And I alone remain, and they are seeking my life.”
“Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars. I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well”?
4 But what is the Divine response to him? “I have retained for myself seven thousand men, who have not bent their knees before Baal.”
And what was the divine reply to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”
5 Therefore, in the same way, again in this time, there is a remnant that has been saved in accord with the choice of grace.
In the same way, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.
6 And if it is by grace, then it is not now by works; otherwise grace is no longer free.
And if it is by grace, then it is no longer by works. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace.
7 What is next? What Israel was seeking, he has not obtained. But the elect have obtained it. And truly, these others have been blinded,
What then? What Israel was seeking, it failed to obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened,
8 just as it was written: “God has given them a spirit of reluctance: eyes that do not perceive, and ears that do not hear, even until this very day.”
as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see, and ears that could not hear, to this very day.”
9 And David says: “Let their table become like a snare, and a deception, and a scandal, and a retribution for them.
And David says: “May their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution to them.
10 Let their eyes be obscured, so that they may not see, and so that they may bow down their backs always.”
May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever.”
11 Therefore, I say: Have they stumbled in such a way that they should fall? Let it not be so! Instead, by their offense, salvation is with the Gentiles, so that they may be a rival to them.
I ask then, did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Certainly not! However, because of their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous.
12 Now if their offense is the riches of the world, and if their diminution is the riches of the Gentiles, how much more is their fullness?
But if their trespass means riches for the world, and their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!
13 For I say to you Gentiles: Certainly, as long as I am an Apostle to the Gentiles, I will honor my ministry,
I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry
14 in such a way that I might provoke to rivalry those who are my own flesh, and so that I may save some of them.
in the hope that I may provoke my own people to jealousy and save some of them.
15 For if their loss is for the reconciliation of the world, what could their return be for, except life out of death?
For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
16 For if the first-fruit has been sanctified, so also has the whole. And if the root is holy, so also are the branches.
If the first part of the dough is holy, so is the whole batch; if the root is holy, so are the branches.
17 And if some of the branches are broken, and if you, being a wild olive branch, are grafted on to them, and you become a partaker of the root and of the fatness of the olive tree,
Now if some branches have been broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others to share in the nourishment of the olive root,
18 do not glorify yourself above the branches. For though you glory, you do not support the root, but the root supports you.
do not boast over those branches. If you do, remember this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.
19 Therefore, you would say: The branches were broken off, so that I might be grafted on.
You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.”
20 Well enough. They were broken off because of unbelief. But you stand on faith. So do not choose to savor what is exalted, but instead be afraid.
That is correct: They were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid.
21 For if God has not spared the natural branches, perhaps also he might not spare you.
For if God did not spare the natural branches, He will certainly not spare you either.
22 So then, notice the goodness and the severity of God. Certainly, toward those who have fallen, there is severity; but toward you, there is the goodness of God, if you remain in goodness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.
Take notice, therefore, of the kindness and severity of God: severity to those who fell, but kindness to you, if you continue in His kindness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.
23 Moreover, if they do not remain in unbelief, they will be grafted on. For God is able to graft them on again.
And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
24 So if you have been cut off from the wild olive tree, which is natural to you, and, contrary to nature, you are grafted on to the good olive tree, how much more shall those who are the natural branches be grafted on to their own olive tree?
For if you were cut from a wild olive tree, and contrary to nature were grafted into one that is cultivated, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!
25 For I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of this mystery (lest you seem wise only to yourselves) that a certain blindness has occurred in Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has arrived.
I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not be conceited: A hardening in part has come to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.
26 And in this way, all of Israel may be saved, just as it was written: “From Zion shall arrive he who delivers, and he shall turn impiety away from Jacob.
And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come from Zion; He will remove godlessness from Jacob.
27 And this will be my covenant for them, when I will take away their sins.”
And this is My covenant with them when I take away their sins.”
28 Certainly, according to the Gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But according to the election, they are most beloved for the sake of the fathers.
Regarding the gospel, they are enemies on your account; but regarding election, they are loved on account of the patriarchs.
29 For the gifts and the call of God are without regret.
For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable.
30 And just as you also, in times past, did not believe in God, but now you have obtained mercy because of their unbelief,
Just as you who formerly disobeyed God have now received mercy through their disobedience,
31 so also have these now not believed, for your mercy, so that they might obtain mercy also.
so they too have now disobeyed, in order that they too may now receive mercy through the mercy shown to you.
For God has consigned everyone to disobedience so that He may have mercy on everyone. (eleēsē g1653)
33 Oh, the depths of the richness of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How incomprehensible are his judgments, and how unsearchable are his ways!
O, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways!
34 For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?
“Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor?”
35 Or who first gave to him, so that repayment would be owed?
“Who has first given to God, that God should repay him?”
