Romans 11
New International Version
The Remnant of Israel
11Â I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means!(A) I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham,(B) from the tribe of Benjamin.(C) 2Â God did not reject his people,(D) whom he foreknew.(E) Donât you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijahâhow he appealed to God against Israel: 3Â âLord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill meâ[a]?(F) 4Â And what was Godâs answer to him? âI have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.â[b](G) 5Â So too, at the present time there is a remnant(H) chosen by grace.(I) 6Â And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works;(J) if it were, grace would no longer be grace.
7Â What then? What the people of Israel sought so earnestly they did not obtain.(K) The elect among them did, but the others were hardened,(L) 8Â as it is written:
âGod gave them a spirit of stupor,
eyes that could not see
and ears that could not hear,(M)
to this very day.â[c](N)
9Â And David says:
âMay their table become a snare and a trap,
a stumbling block and a retribution for them.
10Â May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,(O)
and their backs be bent forever.â[d](P)
Ingrafted Branches
11Â Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all!(Q) Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles(R) to make Israel envious.(S) 12Â But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles,(T) how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring!
13Â I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles,(U) I take pride in my ministry 14Â in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy(V) and save(W) some of them. 15Â For if their rejection brought reconciliation(X) to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?(Y) 16Â If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits(Z) is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.
17Â If some of the branches have been broken off,(AA) and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others(AB) and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, 18Â do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.(AC) 19Â You will say then, âBranches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.â 20Â Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith.(AD) Do not be arrogant,(AE) but tremble.(AF) 21Â For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.
22Â Consider therefore the kindness(AG) and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue(AH) in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.(AI) 23Â And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.(AJ) 24Â After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree,(AK) how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!
All Israel Will Be Saved
25Â I do not want you to be ignorant(AL) of this mystery,(AM) brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited:(AN) Israel has experienced a hardening(AO) in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in,(AP) 26Â and in this way[e] all Israel will be saved.(AQ) As it is written:
âThe deliverer will come from Zion;
he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
27Â And this is[f] my covenant with them
when I take away their sins.â[g](AR)
28Â As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies(AS) for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs,(AT) 29Â for Godâs gifts and his call(AU) are irrevocable.(AV) 30Â Just as you who were at one time disobedient(AW) to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, 31Â so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now[h] receive mercy as a result of Godâs mercy to you. 32Â For God has bound everyone over to disobedience(AX) so that he may have mercy on them all.
Doxology
33Â Oh, the depth of the riches(AY) of the wisdom and[i] knowledge of God!(AZ)
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!(BA)
34Â âWho has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?â[j](BB)
35Â âWho has ever given to God,
that God should repay them?â[k](BC)
36Â For from him and through him and for him are all things.(BD)
To him be the glory forever! Amen.(BE)
Footnotes
- Romans 11:3 1 Kings 19:10,14
- Romans 11:4 1 Kings 19:18
- Romans 11:8 Deut. 29:4; Isaiah 29:10
- Romans 11:10 Psalm 69:22,23
- Romans 11:26 Or and so
- Romans 11:27 Or will be
- Romans 11:27 Isaiah 59:20,21; 27:9 (see Septuagint); Jer. 31:33,34
- Romans 11:31 Some manuscripts do not have now.
- Romans 11:33 Or riches and the wisdom and the
- Romans 11:34 Isaiah 40:13
- Romans 11:35 Job 41:11
Romans 11
King James Version
11Â I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
2Â God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel saying,
3Â Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.
4Â But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.
5Â Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
6Â And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
7Â What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.
8Â (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.
9Â And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:
10Â Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.
11Â I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
12Â Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?
13Â For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
14Â If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.
15Â For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?
16Â For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.
17Â And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
18Â Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
19Â Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.
20Â Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
21Â For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
22Â Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
23Â And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.
24Â For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
25Â For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
26Â And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
27Â For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
28Â As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father's sakes.
29Â For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
30Â For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
31Â Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
32Â For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
33Â O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
34Â For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
35Â Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
36Â For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
Romans 11
New Living Translation
Godâs Mercy on Israel
11Â I ask, then, has God rejected his own people, the nation of Israel? Of course not! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham and a member of the tribe of Benjamin.
2Â No, God has not rejected his own people, whom he chose from the very beginning. Do you realize what the Scriptures say about this? Elijah the prophet complained to God about the people of Israel and said, 3Â âLord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.â[a]
4Â And do you remember Godâs reply? He said, âNo, I have 7,000 others who have never bowed down to Baal!â[b]
5Â It is the same today, for a few of the people of Israel[c] have remained faithful because of Godâs graceâhis undeserved kindness in choosing them. 6Â And since it is through Godâs kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, Godâs grace would not be what it really isâfree and undeserved.
7Â So this is the situation: Most of the people of Israel have not found the favor of God they are looking for so earnestly. A few haveâthe ones God has chosenâbut the hearts of the rest were hardened. 8Â As the Scriptures say,
âGod has put them into a deep sleep.
To this day he has shut their eyes so they do not see,
and closed their ears so they do not hear.â[d]
9Â Likewise, David said,
âLet their bountiful table become a snare,
a trap that makes them think all is well.
Let their blessings cause them to stumble,
and let them get what they deserve.
10Â Let their eyes go blind so they cannot see,
and let their backs be bent forever.â[e]
11Â Did Godâs people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves. 12Â Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down Godâs offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it.
13Â I am saying all this especially for you Gentiles. God has appointed me as the apostle to the Gentiles. I stress this, 14Â for I want somehow to make the people of Israel jealous of what you Gentiles have, so I might save some of them. 15Â For since their rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, their acceptance will be even more wonderful. It will be life for those who were dead! 16Â And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their descendants will also be holyâjust as the entire batch of dough is holy because the portion given as an offering is holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too.
17Â But some of these branches from Abrahamâs treeâsome of the people of Israelâhave been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of Godâs special olive tree. 18Â But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root.
19Â âWell,â you may say, âthose branches were broken off to make room for me.â 20Â Yes, but rememberâthose branches were broken off because they didnât believe in Christ, and you are there because you do believe. So donât think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen. 21Â For if God did not spare the original branches, he wonât[f] spare you either.
22Â Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe toward those who disobeyed, but kind to you if you continue to trust in his kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off. 23Â And if the people of Israel turn from their unbelief, they will be grafted in again, for God has the power to graft them back into the tree. 24Â You, by nature, were a branch cut from a wild olive tree. So if God was willing to do something contrary to nature by grafting you into his cultivated tree, he will be far more eager to graft the original branches back into the tree where they belong.
Godâs Mercy Is for Everyone
25Â I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters,[g] so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ. 26Â And so all Israel will be saved. As the Scriptures say,
âThe one who rescues will come from Jerusalem,[h]
and he will turn Israel[i] away from ungodliness.
27Â And this is my covenant with them,
that I will take away their sins.â[j]
28Â Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 29Â For Godâs gifts and his call can never be withdrawn. 30Â Once, you Gentiles were rebels against God, but when the people of Israel rebelled against him, God was merciful to you instead. 31Â Now they are the rebels, and Godâs mercy has come to you so that they, too, will share[k] in Godâs mercy. 32Â For God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience so he could have mercy on everyone.
33Â Oh, how great are Godâs riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!
34Â For who can know the Lordâs thoughts?
Who knows enough to give him advice?[l]
35Â And who has given him so much
that he needs to pay it back?[m]
36Â For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.
Footnotes
- 11:3 1 Kgs 19:10, 14.
- 11:4 1 Kgs 19:18.
- 11:5 Greek for a remnant.
- 11:8 Isa 29:10; Deut 29:4.
- 11:9-10 Ps 69:22-23 (Greek version).
- 11:21 Some manuscripts read perhaps he wonât.
- 11:25 Greek brothers.
- 11:26a Greek from Zion.
- 11:26b Greek Jacob.
- 11:26-27 Isa 59:20-21; 27:9 (Greek version).
- 11:31 Other manuscripts read will now share; still others read will someday share.
- 11:34 Isa 40:13 (Greek version).
- 11:35 See Job 41:11.
Romans 11
New King James Version
Israelâs Rejection Not Total
11Â I say then, (A)has God cast away His people? (B)Certainly not! For (C)I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2Â God has not cast away His people whom (D)He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, 3Â (E)âLord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my lifeâ? 4Â But what does the divine response say to him? (F)âI have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.â 5Â (G)Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6Â And (H)if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. [a]But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.
7Â What then? (I)Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were (J)blinded. 8Â Just as it is written:
(K)âGod has given them a spirit of stupor,
(L)Eyes that they should not see
And ears that they should not hear,
To this very day.â
9Â And David says:
(M)âLet their table become a snare and a trap,
A stumbling block and a recompense to them.
10Â Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see,
And bow down their back always.â
Israelâs Rejection Not Final
11Â I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But (N)through their [b]fall, to provoke them to (O)jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. 12Â Now if their [c]fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!
13Â For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as (P)I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14Â if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and (Q)save some of them. 15Â For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be (R)but life from the dead?
16Â For if (S)the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17Â And if (T)some of the branches were broken off, (U)and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and [d]fatness of the olive tree, 18Â (V)do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.
19Â You will say then, âBranches were broken off that I might be grafted in.â 20Â Well said. Because of (W)unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 21Â For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. 22Â Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, [e]goodness, (X)if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise (Y)you also will be cut off. 23Â And they also, (Z)if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24Â For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
25Â For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be (AA)wise in your own [f]opinion, that (AB)blindness in part has happened to Israel (AC)until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26Â And so all Israel will be [g]saved, as it is written:
(AD)âThe Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
27Â For (AE)this is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.â
28Â Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are (AF)beloved for the sake of the fathers. 29Â For the gifts and the calling of God are (AG)irrevocable. 30Â For as you (AH)were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, 31Â even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy. 32Â For God has [h]committed them (AI)all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.
33Â Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!
34Â âFor who has known the (AJ)mind of the Lord?
Or (AK)who has become His counselor?â
35Â âOr(AL) who has first given to Him
And it shall be repaid to him?â
36Â For (AM)of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, (AN)to whom be glory forever. Amen.
Footnotes
- Romans 11:6 NU omits the rest of v. 6.
- Romans 11:11 trespass
- Romans 11:12 trespass
- Romans 11:17 richness
- Romans 11:22 NU adds of God
- Romans 11:25 estimation
- Romans 11:26 Or delivered
- Romans 11:32 shut them all up in
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