Romans 11:16-18

Expanded Bible

¹⁶ If the ·first piece of bread is offered to God [^Lfirstfruits are holy; ^Cthe dough made from the first crops harvested], then the whole ·loaf [batch; ^Llump of dough] is made holy. If the roots of a tree are holy, then the tree’s branches are holy too [^Csince Abraham and the patriarchs were God’s chosen people, so were their Jewish descendants].

¹⁷ It is as if some of the branches from an olive tree [^Csymbolizing Israel] have been broken off. You Gentiles are like the branch of a wild olive tree that has been ·joined [grafted] to that first tree. You now share the ·strength and life [nourishment; ^Lrich/fat root] of the first tree [^Cthe Gentiles now share in the rich blessings promised to Israel through their “root,” Abraham and the patriarchs]. ¹⁸ So do not ·brag about [boast over; consider yourselves superior to] those branches that were broken off. If you ·brag [boast], remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.