Israel Has Not Been Rejected

11 I say then, God has not (A)rejected His people, has He? [a](B)Far from it! For (C)I too am an Israelite, [b]a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God (D)has not rejected His people whom He (E)foreknew. (F)Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? “Lord, (G)they have killed Your prophets, they have torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.” But what [c]is the divine response to him? “(H)I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time (I)a remnant according to God’s [d]gracious choice. But (J)if it is by grace, it is no longer [e]on the basis of works, since otherwise grace is no longer grace.

What then? What (K)Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but [f]those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were (L)hardened; just as it is written:

(M)God gave them a spirit of stupor,
Eyes to see not and ears to hear not,
Down to this very day.”

And David says,

(N)May their table become a snare and a trap,
And a stumbling block and a retribution to them.
10 (O)May their eyes be darkened to see not,
And bend their backs continually.”

11 (P)I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? [g](Q)Far from it! But by their wrongdoing (R)salvation has come to the Gentiles, to (S)make them jealous. 12 Now if their wrongdoing proves to be riches for the world, and their failure, riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their [h](T)fulfillment be! 13 But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Therefore insofar as (U)I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry 14 if somehow I may (V)move (W)my [i]own people to jealousy and (X)save some of them. 15 For if their rejection proves to be the (Y)reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but (Z)life from the dead? 16 If the (AA)first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are as well.

17 But if some of the (AB)branches were broken off, and (AC)you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the [j]rich root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that (AD)it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. 19 (AE)You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you (AF)stand by your faith. (AG)Do not be conceited, but fear; 21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. 22 See then the kindness and severity of God: to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s (AH)kindness, (AI)if you continue in His kindness; for otherwise you too (AJ)will be cut off. 23 And they also, (AK)if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in; for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?

25 For (AL)I do not want you, brothers and sisters, to be uninformed of this (AM)mystery—so that you will not be (AN)wise in your own estimation—that a partial (AO)hardening has happened to Israel until the (AP)fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 26 and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written:

(AQ)The Deliverer will come from Zion,
He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.”
27 (AR)This is [k]My covenant with them,
(AS)When I take away their sins.”

28 In relation to the gospel they are (AT)enemies on your account, but in relation to God’s choice they are beloved (AU)on account of the fathers; 29 for the gifts and the (AV)calling of God (AW)are irrevocable. 30 For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. 32 For (AX)God has shut up all in disobedience, so that He may show mercy to all.

33 Oh, the depth of (AY)the riches, [l]both of the (AZ)wisdom and knowledge of God! (BA)How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 34 For (BB)who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? 35 Or (BC)who has first given to Him, [m]that it would be paid back to him? 36 For (BD)from Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things. (BE)To Him be the glory [n]forever. Amen.

Footnotes

  1. Romans 11:1 Lit May it never happen!
  2. Romans 11:1 Lit of the seed of Abraham
  3. Romans 11:4 Lit says
  4. Romans 11:5 Lit choice of grace
  5. Romans 11:6 Lit out of
  6. Romans 11:7 Lit the election
  7. Romans 11:11 Lit May it never happen!
  8. Romans 11:12 Or fullness
  9. Romans 11:14 Lit flesh
  10. Romans 11:17 Lit root of the fatness
  11. Romans 11:27 Lit the covenant from Me
  12. Romans 11:33 Or and the wisdom
  13. Romans 11:35 Lit and it will be paid back
  14. Romans 11:36 Lit to the ages

11 I say, then, Did God cast away His people? let it not be! for I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin:

God did not cast away His people whom He knew before; have ye not known -- in Elijah -- what the Writing saith? how he doth plead with God concerning Israel, saying,

`Lord, Thy prophets they did kill, and Thy altars they dug down, and I was left alone, and they seek my life;'

but what saith the divine answer to him? `I left to Myself seven thousand men, who did not bow a knee to Baal.'

So then also in the present time a remnant according to the choice of grace there hath been;

and if by grace, no more of works, otherwise the grace becometh no more grace; and if of works, it is no more grace, otherwise the work is no more work.

What then? What Israel doth seek after, this it did not obtain, and the chosen did obtain, and the rest were hardened,

according as it hath been written, `God gave to them a spirit of deep sleep, eyes not to see, and ears not to hear,' -- unto this very day,

and David saith, `Let their table become for a snare, and for a trap, and for a stumbling-block, and for a recompense to them;

10 let their eyes be darkened -- not to behold, and their back do Thou always bow down.'

11 I say, then, Did they stumble that they might fall? let it not be! but by their fall the salvation [is] to the nations, to arouse them to jealousy;

12 and if the fall of them [is] the riches of a world, and the diminution of them the riches of nations, how much more the fulness of them?

13 For to you I speak -- to the nations -- inasmuch as I am indeed an apostle of nations, my ministration I do glorify;

14 if by any means I shall arouse to jealousy mine own flesh, and shall save some of them,

15 for if the casting away of them [is] a reconciliation of the world, what the reception -- if not life out of the dead?

16 and if the first-fruit [is] holy, the lump also; and if the root [is] holy, the branches also.

17 And if certain of the branches were broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wast graffed in among them, and a fellow-partaker of the root and of the fatness of the olive tree didst become --

18 do not boast against the branches; and if thou dost boast, thou dost not bear the root, but the root thee!

19 Thou wilt say, then, `The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in;' right!

20 by unbelief they were broken off, and thou hast stood by faith; be not high-minded, but be fearing;

21 for if God the natural branches did not spare -- lest perhaps He also shall not spare thee.

22 Lo, then, goodness and severity of God -- upon those indeed who fell, severity; and upon thee, goodness, if thou mayest remain in the goodness, otherwise, thou also shalt be cut off.

23 And those also, if they may not remain in unbelief, shall be graffed in, for God is able again to graff them in;

24 for if thou, out of the olive tree, wild by nature, wast cut out, and, contrary to nature, wast graffed into a good olive tree, how much rather shall they, who [are] according to nature, be graffed into their own olive tree?

25 For I do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, of this secret -- that ye may not be wise in your own conceits -- that hardness in part to Israel hath happened till the fulness of the nations may come in;

26 and so all Israel shall be saved, according as it hath been written, `There shall come forth out of Sion he who is delivering, and he shall turn away impiety from Jacob,

27 and this to them [is] the covenant from Me, when I may take away their sins.'

28 As regards, indeed, the good tidings, [they are] enemies on your account; and as regards the choice -- beloved on account of the fathers;

29 for unrepented of [are] the gifts and the calling of God;

30 for as ye also once did not believe in God, and now did find kindness by the unbelief of these:

31 so also these now did not believe, that in your kindness they also may find kindness;

32 for God did shut up together the whole to unbelief, that to the whole He might do kindness.

33 O depth of riches, and wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable His judgments, and untraceable His ways!

34 for who did know the mind of the Lord? or who did become His counsellor?

35 or who did first give to Him, and it shall be given back to him again?

36 because of Him, and through Him, and to Him [are] the all things; to Him [is] the glory -- to the ages. Amen.