Romans 11
1 I say, then—Hath God cast off his people? Far be it! For, I also, am an Israelite, —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 hath not cast off his people, whom he fore approved. Or know ye not, in [the account of] Elijah what the scripture saith, when he intercedeth with 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! Thy prophets, have they slain, thine altars, have they overthrown, and, I, am left alone, and they are seeking 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 saith unto him the response? I have left for myself seven thousand men, who, indeed, have not bowed a knee unto 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 Thus, then, in the present season also, a remnant, by way of an election of favour, hath come into being.
In the same way also at the present time there has come to be a remnant whom God in His grace has selected.
6 If, however, by favour, no longer of works; else, favour, no longer proveth to be favour!
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 seeketh after, the same, it hath not obtained: —the election, however, have obtained it, and, the rest, have been hardened; —
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 Even as it is written—God hath given unto them a spirit of stupor, —eyes not to see, and ears not to hear, —until this very 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, saith—Let their table be turned into a snare, and into gin, and into a trap, and into a recompense unto them,
And David says, "Let their very food become a snare and a trap to them, a stumbling-block and a retribution.
10 Darkened be their eyes, not to see, and, their back, do thou continually bow down.
Let darkness come over their eyes that they may be unable to see, and make Thou their backs continually to stoop."
11 I say then—Did they stumble in order that they might fall? Far be it! But, by their fall, salvation [hath come] unto the nations, to the end of provoking them to jealousy.
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 If, moreover, their fall, is the riches of a world, and their loss, the riches of nations, how much rather their fullness?
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 Unto you, however, am I speaking, —you of the nations; inasmuch, indeed, then, as, I, am an apostle to the nations, my ministry, I glorify,
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 by any means I may provoke to jealousy my own flesh, and save some from among them; —
trying whether I can succeed in rousing my own countrymen to jealousy and thus save some of them.
15 For, if, the casting away of them, hath become the reconciling of a world, what shall, the taking of them in addition, be, but life from among 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 If, moreover, the first fruit [is] holy, the lump [shall be] also; and, if the root [is] holy, the branches [shall be] also.
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 If, however, some of the branches, have been broken out, and, thou, being a wild olive hast been grafted in among them, and hast become a joint partaker of the root of the fatness of the olive,
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 Be not boasting over the branches! Howbeit, if thou boast, it is not, thou, that bearest the root, but the root, thee!
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 Thou wilt say, then—Branches were broken out in order that, I, might he grafted in.
"Branches have been lopped off," you will say, "for the sake of my being grafted in."
20 Well: by their want of faith, they have been broken out, —and, thou, by thy faith, dost stand!—Regard not lofty things, but be afraid;
This is true; yet it was their unbelief that cut them off, and you only stand through your faith.
21 For, if, God, hath not spared, the natural branches, neither, thee, will he spare!
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, the kindness and the severity of God: upon them who have fallen, severity, —but, upon thee, the kindness of God, if thou abide still in the kindness, —otherwise, thou also, shalt he cut out;
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 Whereas, they also, unless they abide still in their want of faith, shall be grafted in, for God is, able, again to engraft them!
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, thou, out of the naturally wild olive was cut out, and, beyond nature, hast been engrafted into the good olive, how much rather, shall these, the natural [branches] be engrafted into their own olive tree?
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 I wish not, ye should be ignorant, brethren, of this sacred secret, lest within yourselves ye be presumptuous, that, a hardening in part, hath befallen Israel, until, the full measure of the nations, shall 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 shall be saved: even as it is written—There shall have come out of Zion the Deliverer, —He will turn away ungodliness 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, for them, is the covenant from me, as soon as I take away their sins.
and this shall be My Covenant with them; when I have taken away their sins."
28 As touching the joyful-message, indeed, they are enemies for your sake, but, as touching the election, beloved for their father’s sake;
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 For, not to be regretted, are the gifts and the calling of God: —
For God does not repent of His free gifts nor of His call;
30 For, just as, ye, at one time had not yielded unto God, and yet now have received mercy by their refusal to yield,
but just as you were formerly disobedient to Him, but now have received mercy at a time when they are disobedient,
31 So, these also, have now refused to yield, by your own mercy, in order that, themselves also, should now become objects of 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 hath shut up all together, in a refusal to yield, in order that, upon all, he may bestow mercy. (eleēsē g1653)
For God has locked up all in the prison of unbelief, that upon all alike He may have mercy. (eleēsē g1653)
33 Oh! the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments! and untraceable his ways!
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 For who hath come to know the mind of the Lord? Or who hath become his counselor?
"Who has ever known the mind of the Lord, or shared His counsels?"
35 Or who hath first given unto him, and it shall be recompensed to him again?
"Who has first given God anything, so as to receive payment in return?"
