11 So I ask this: ‘Has God turned away from his people?’ No, certainly, he has not done that! I myself belong to Israel's people. I am a descendant of Abraham and I belong to Benjamin's tribe. 2 God chose who would be his people from the beginning. He has not turned against them now. Remember what the Bible tells us about Elijah. He wanted God to punish Israel's people. Elijah said: 3 ‘Lord God, they have killed your prophets. They have destroyed the altars where people offered sacrifices to you. I am the only person alive who still serves you. And they are trying to kill me.’ 4 This was God's answer to Elijah: ‘There are still 7,000 men that I have kept for myself. Those men have not worshipped the false god Baal.’ [ a ]
5 It is the same at this time too. There is a small number of Israel's people that God has chosen to trust him. He has chosen them because he is very kind. 6 This shows that God has not chosen them because of any good things that they have done. If that was true, we could not say that God was really being kind to them. It would not be his gift.
7 So we can say this: Israel's people did not all find what they were looking for. Only those people that God had chosen received it. But the other people of Israel became unable to understand God's message. 8 It says this in the Bible:
‘God caused them to be like people who are sleeping.
Even until this day, their eyes cannot really see,
and their ears cannot really hear.’ [ b ]
9 King David says this:
‘They enjoy eating lots of good food together.
I pray that God will catch them while they are eating!
I want those good things to lead them into trouble.
I want God to punish them because of what they have done.
10 I want their eyes to become dark so that they cannot see.
I want their bodies always to be in pain, like slaves.’ [ c ]
11 So now I ask this: ‘When Israel's people failed to accept Jesus as God's Messiah, did they make themselves separate from God for ever?’ No, certainly that is not true! Because of their mistake, God is now saving Gentiles. God is doing that so that Israel's people would become jealous. 12 Because of their mistake, God has done good things for everyone in the world. Israel's people failed to receive what God wanted to give them. As a result, the Gentiles have received very many good things from God. That was the good result when Israel's people failed. So, when the complete number of Israel's people do turn to God, the result will be even better!
13 Now I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. God has sent me to be his apostle to the Gentiles. I thank him that he has given this important work to me. 14 I hope that my work among you Gentiles will cause my own people to be jealous. As a result, some of them may turn to God, so that he saves them. 15 When God turned away from Israel's people, he then accepted other people in the world as his friends. So, when God does accept Israel's people, the result will be even better! It will be like dead people who have become alive again!
16 If you offer the first piece of bread to God, then all the bread will belong to God. If the roots of a tree belong to God, then the branches will also be his.
17 Israel's people are like an olive tree that a farmer has planted. But God has broken off some of that tree's branches. Then he has taken a branch from a wild olive tree. He has put that wild branch into the farmer's tree, to become part of that tree. You Gentiles are like the wild branch. Now you receive food from the root of the farmer's tree, to make you strong. 18 Israel's people are like the branches that God broke off. But you must not think that you are better than those branches. Remember that you are still only a branch. You do not make the root strong. No, it is the root that holds you up and makes you strong.
19 You might say, ‘God broke off the branches so that I could become part of the tree.’ 20 That is true. God broke them off because they did not believe in Christ. God has accepted you as part of the tree because you do believe in Christ. So do not become proud. Instead, be afraid. 21 God broke off the proper branches and he did not let them stay in the tree. So, if you no longer trust him, he will not let you stay either.
22 So you should think about what God is like. He is kind, but he also punishes people. He has punished Israel's people, because they turned away from him. He has been kind to you. But you must continue to accept his kind gift. If you do not do that, he will break you off from his tree as well.
23 God is able to accept Israel's people back again. If they come to believe in Christ, God will put them back as part of the tree. He is able to make them become branches of the tree again. 24 God cut you like branches from a wild olive tree. Then he put you into the farmer's olive tree so that you became part of it. He could do that even though that was not your own tree before. So God will be able to do that for Israel's people. He can easily put them back into their own tree, that they were part of before. [ d ]
25 My Christian friends, I want to help you to understand about Israel's people. It is a secret that God has shown to us. If you really understand it, you will not be proud that you are so clever. Many of Israel's people have refused to believe in Christ. They will continue to refuse him until the complete number of Gentiles have believed. 26 When that has happened, God will save all Israel's people. This is written in the Bible:
‘The one who rescues will come from Zion.
He will turn Jacob's people away from their sins. [ e ]
27 And I will make this agreement with them.
I will forgive them for their sins.’ [ f ]
28 Israel's people have become God's enemies, because they have refused to believe the good news about Christ. This has happened to help you Gentiles. But God still loves Israel's people, because he has chosen them as his own people. That is what he promised to their ancestors. 29 God's thoughts about his people cannot change. He has blessed them with gifts and he has chosen them to belong to him.
30 In past times, you Gentiles did not obey God. But now God has been very kind to you, because Israel's people refused to obey him. 31 They do not obey God now. As a result God has been very kind to you. That has happened so that God may now be very kind to them too. 32 God says that everyone is guilty because they do not obey him. He says that so that he can be kind and he can forgive everyone.
33 Yes! God is very great! He has everything! He knows and he understands all things! Nobody can completely understand the things that he decides. Nobody can explain the ways in which he works. 34 The Bible says this:
‘Nobody knows the thoughts of the Lord God.
Nobody is able to tell him what he should do.’ [ g ]
35 ‘Nobody has ever given anything to God,
so that God had a debt to pay back to them.’ [ h ]
36 It is God who made all things. He also causes all things to continue. And all things are there to show how great he is.
We praise him! He is great for ever! Amen. This is true!
11 So I ask, “Did God force his people to leave him?” Of course not. I myself am an Israelite. I am from the family of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God chose the Israelites to be his people before they were born. And he did not force them to leave. Surely you know what the Scriptures say about Elijah. The Scriptures tell about Elijah praying to God against the people of Israel. He said, 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets and destroyed your altars. I am the only prophet still living, and they are trying to kill me now.” [ a ] 4 But what answer did God give to Elijah? God said, “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have never given worship to Baal.” [ b ]
5 It is the same now. God has chosen a few people by his grace. 6 And if he chose them by grace, then it is not what they have done that made them his people. If they could be made his people by what they did, his gift of grace would not really be a gift.
7 So this is what has happened: The people of Israel wanted God’s blessing, but they did not all get it. The people he chose did get his blessing, but the others became hard and refused to listen to him. 8 As the Scriptures say,
“God caused the people to fall asleep.” ( A )
“God closed their eyes so that they could not see,
and he closed their ears so that they could not hear.
This continues until now.” ( B )
9 And David says,
“Let those people be caught and trapped at their own feasts.
Let them fall and be punished.
10 Let their eyes be closed so that they cannot see.
And let them be troubled forever.” ( C )
11 So I ask: When the Jews fell, did that fall destroy them? No! But their mistake brought salvation to those who are not Jews. The purpose of this was to make the Jews jealous. 12 Their mistake brought rich blessings to the world. And what they lost brought rich blessings to the non-Jewish people. So surely the world will get much richer blessings when enough Jews become the kind of people God wants.
13 Now I am speaking to you people who are not Jews. I am an apostle to the non-Jewish people. So while I have that work, I will do the best I can. 14 I hope I can make my own people jealous. That way, maybe I can help some of them to be saved. 15 God turned away from the Jews. When that happened, he became friends with the other people in the world. So when he accepts the Jews, it will be like bringing people to life after death. 16 If the first piece of bread is offered to God, then the whole loaf is made holy. If the roots of a tree are holy, the tree’s branches are holy too.
17 It is as if some of the branches from an olive tree have been broken off, and the branch of a wild olive tree has been joined to that first tree. If you are not a Jew, you are the same as that wild branch, and you now share the strength and life of the first tree. 18 But don’t act as if you are better than those branches that were broken off. You have no reason to be proud of yourself, because you don’t give life to the root. The root gives life to you. 19 You might say, “Branches were broken off so that I could be joined to their tree.” 20 That is true. But those branches were broken off because they did not believe. And you continue to be part of the tree only because you believe. Don’t be proud, but be afraid. 21 If God did not let the natural branches of that tree stay, he will not let you stay if you stop believing.
22 So you see that God is kind, but he can also be very strict. He punishes those who stop following him. But he is kind to you, if you continue trusting in his kindness. If you don’t continue depending on him, you will be cut off from the tree. 23 And if the Jews will believe in God again, he will accept them back. He is able to put them back where they were. 24 It is not natural for a wild branch to become part of a good tree. But you non-Jewish people are like a branch cut from a wild olive tree. And you were joined to a good olive tree. But those Jews are like a branch that grew from the good tree. So surely they can be joined to their own tree again.
25 I want you to understand this secret truth, brothers and sisters. This truth will help you understand that you don’t know everything. The truth is this: Part of Israel has been made stubborn, but that will change when enough non-Jewish people have come to God. 26 And that is how all Israel will be saved. The Scriptures say,
“The Savior will come from Zion;
he will take away all evil from the family of Jacob.
27 And I will make this agreement with those people
when I take away their sins.” ( D )
28 The Jews refuse to accept the Good News, so they are God’s enemies. This has happened to help you who are not Jews. But they are still God’s chosen people, and he loves them because of the promises he made to their ancestors. 29 God never changes his mind about the people he calls. He never decides to take back the blessings he has given them. 30 At one time you refused to obey God. But now you have received mercy, because the Jews refused to obey. 31 And now they are the ones who refuse to obey, because God showed mercy to you. But this happened so that they can also receive mercy from him. 32 All people have refused to obey God. And he has put them all together as people who don’t obey him so that he can show mercy to everyone.
33 Yes, God’s riches are very great! His wisdom and knowledge have no end! No one can explain what God decides. No one can understand his ways. 34 As the Scriptures say,
“Who can know what is on the Lord’s mind?
Who is able to give him advice?” ( E )
35 “Who has ever given God anything?
God owes nothing to anyone.” ( F )
36 Yes, God made all things. And everything continues through him and for him. To God be the glory forever! Amen.
11 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.
2 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,
3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.
4 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.
5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
6 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.
7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.
8 (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.
9 And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:
10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.
11 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.
12 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?
13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
14 If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.
15 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?
16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.
17 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;
18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.
20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
22 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.
23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.
24 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?
25 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.
26 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:
27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father's sakes.
29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
33 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!
34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
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. 2 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? 3 “Lord, ( G ) they have killed Your prophets, they have torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life .” 4 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 .” 5 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. 6 But ( J ) if it is by grace, it is no longer [ e ] on the basis of works, since otherwise grace is no longer grace.
7 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; 8 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 .”
9 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.
11 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 ) 2 God did not reject his people, ( D ) whom he foreknew. ( E ) Don’t you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me” [ a ] ? ( F ) 4 And what was God’s answer to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” [ b ] ( G ) 5 So too, at the present time there is a remnant ( H ) chosen by grace. ( I ) 6 And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; ( J ) if it were, grace would no longer be grace.
7 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 ) 8 as it is written:
“God gave them a spirit of stupor,
eyes that could not see
and ears that could not hear, ( M )
to this very day.” [ c ] ( N )
9 And David says:
“May their table become a snare and a trap,
a stumbling block and a retribution for them.
10 May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, ( O )
and their backs be bent forever.” [ d ] ( P )
11 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 ) 12 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!
13 I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, ( U ) I take pride in my ministry 14 in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy ( V ) and save ( W ) some of them. 15 For if their rejection brought reconciliation ( X ) to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? ( Y ) 16 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.
17 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, 18 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 ) 19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” 20 Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. ( AD ) Do not be arrogant, ( AE ) but tremble. ( AF ) 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.
22 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 ) 23 And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. ( AJ ) 24 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!
25 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 ) 26 and in this way [ e ] all Israel will be saved. ( AQ ) As it is written:
“The deliverer will come from Zion;
he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
27 And this is [ f ] my covenant with them
when I take away their sins.” [ g ] ( AR )
28 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 ) 29 for God’s gifts and his call ( AU ) are irrevocable. ( AV ) 30 Just as you who were at one time disobedient ( AW ) to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now [ h ] receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. 32 For God has bound everyone over to disobedience ( AX ) so that he may have mercy on them all.
33 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 )
34 “Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?” [ j ] ( BB )
35 “Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay them?” [ k ] ( BC )
36 For from him and through him and for him are all things. ( BD )
To him be the glory forever! Amen. ( BE )
