Romans 11:1–36

¹I ask then, did God reject His people? Certainly not! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. ²God did not reject His people, whom He foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says 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 seeking my life as well ”^a?

⁴And what was the divine reply to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”^b

⁵In the same way, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. ⁶And if it is by grace, then it is no longer by works. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace.^c

⁷What then? What Israel was seeking, it failed to obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened, ⁸as it is written:

“God gave them a spirit of stupor,

eyes that could not see,

and ears that could not hear,

to this very day.”^d

⁹And David says:

“May their table become a snare and a trap,

a stumbling block and a retribution to them.

¹⁰May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,

and their backs be bent forever.”^e

¹¹I ask then, did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery?^f Certainly not! However, because of their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous. ¹²But if their trespass means riches for the world, and their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!

¹³I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry ¹⁴in the hope that I may provoke my own people to jealousy and save some of them. ¹⁵For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? ¹⁶If the first part of the dough is holy, so is the whole batch; if the root is holy, so are the branches.

¹⁷Now if some branches have been broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others to share in the nourishment of the olive root, ¹⁸do not boast over those branches. If you do, remember this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.

¹⁹You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” ²⁰That is correct: They were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. ²¹For if God did not spare the natural branches, He will certainly not^g spare you either.

²²Take notice, therefore, of the kindness and severity of God: severity to those who fell, but kindness to you, if you continue in His kindness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. ²³And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. ²⁴For if you were cut from a wild olive tree, and contrary to nature were grafted into one that is cultivated, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!

²⁵I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not be conceited: A hardening in part has come to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. ²⁶And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:

“The Deliverer will come from Zion;

He will remove godlessness from Jacob.

²⁷And this is My covenant with them

when I take away their sins.”^h

²⁸Regarding the gospel, they are enemies on your account; but regarding election, they are loved on account of the patriarchs. ²⁹For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable.

³⁰Just as you who formerly disobeyed God have now received mercy through their disobedience, ³¹so they too have now disobeyed, in order that they too may now receive mercy through the mercy shown to you.^{i 32}For God has consigned everyone to disobedience so that He may have mercy on everyone.

³³O, the depth of the riches

of the wisdom and knowledge of God!

How unsearchable are His judgments,

and untraceable His ways!

³⁴“Who has known the mind of the Lord?

Or who has been His counselor?”^j

³⁵“Who has first given to God,

that God should repay him?”^k

³⁶For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.

To Him be the glory forever! Amen.