Romans 11
11
Israel Has Not Been Rejected
1I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? #11:1 Lit May it never happen!Far from it! For I too am an Israelite, #11:1 Lit of the seed of Abrahama descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? 3“Lord, they have killed Your prophets, they have torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.” 4But what #11:4 Lit saysis the divine response to him? “I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s #11:5 Lit choice of gracegracious choice. 6But if it is by grace, it is no longer #11:6 Lit out ofon the basis of works, since otherwise grace is no longer grace.
7What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but #11:7 Lit the electionthose who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened; 8just as it is written:
“God gave them a spirit of stupor,
Eyes to see not and ears to hear not,
Down to this very day.”
9And David says,
“May their table become a snare and a trap,
And a stumbling block and a retribution to them.
10“May their eyes be darkened to see not,
And bend their backs continually.”
11I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? #11:11 Lit May it never happen!Far from it! But by their wrongdoing salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous. 12Now if their wrongdoing proves to be riches for the world, and their failure, riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their #11:12 Or fullnessfulfillment be! 13But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Therefore insofar as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry 14if somehow I may move my #11:14 Lit fleshown people to jealousy and save some of them. 15For if their rejection proves to be the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are as well.
17But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the #11:17 Lit root of the fatnessrich root of the olive tree, 18do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. 19You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; 21for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. 22See then the kindness and severity of God: to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; for otherwise you too will be cut off. 23And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in; for God is able to graft them in again. 24For 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?
25For I do not want you, brothers and sisters, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 26and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written:
“The Deliverer will come from Zion,
He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.”
27“This is #11:27 Lit the covenant from MeMy covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.”
28In relation to the gospel they are enemies on your account, but in relation to God’s choice they are beloved on account of the fathers; 29for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, 31so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. 32For God has shut up all in disobedience, so that He may show mercy to all.
33Oh, the depth of the riches, #11:33 Or and the wisdomboth of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 34For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? 35Or who has first given to Him, #11:35 Lit and it will be paid backthat it would be paid back to him? 36For from Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory #11:36 Lit to the agesforever. Amen.
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Romans 11: NASB2020
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Romans 11
11
God’s Mercy on Israel
1I 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.
2No, 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, 3“Lord, 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.”#11:3 1 Kgs 19:10, 14.
4And do you remember God’s reply? He said, “No, I have 7,000 others who have never bowed down to Baal!”#11:4 1 Kgs 19:18.
5It is the same today, for a few of the people of Israel#11:5 Greek for a remnant. have remained faithful because of God’s grace—his undeserved kindness in choosing them. 6And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved.
7So 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 have—the ones God has chosen—but the hearts of the rest were hardened. 8As the Scriptures say,
“God 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.”#11:8 Isa 29:10; Deut 29:4.
9Likewise, David said,
“Let 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.
10Let their eyes go blind so they cannot see,
and let their backs be bent forever.”#11:9-10 Ps 69:22-23 (Greek version).
11Did God’s 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. 12Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God’s offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it.
13I am saying all this especially for you Gentiles. God has appointed me as the apostle to the Gentiles. I stress this, 14for I want somehow to make the people of Israel jealous of what you Gentiles have, so I might save some of them. 15For 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! 16And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their descendants will also be holy—just 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.
17But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree—some of the people of Israel—have 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 God’s special olive tree. 18But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root.
19“Well,” you may say, “those branches were broken off to make room for me.” 20Yes, but remember—those branches were broken off because they didn’t believe in Christ, and you are there because you do believe. So don’t think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen. 21For if God did not spare the original branches, he won’t#11:21 Some manuscripts read perhaps he won’t. spare you either.
22Notice 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. 23And 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. 24You, 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.
God’s Mercy Is for Everyone
25I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters,#11:25 Greek brothers. 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. 26And so all Israel will be saved. As the Scriptures say,
“The one who rescues will come from Jerusalem,#11:26a Greek from Zion.
and he will turn Israel#11:26b Greek Jacob. away from ungodliness.
27And this is my covenant with them,
that I will take away their sins.”#11:26-27 Isa 59:20-21; 27:9 (Greek version).
28Many 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. 29For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn. 30Once, you Gentiles were rebels against God, but when the people of Israel rebelled against him, God was merciful to you instead. 31Now they are the rebels, and God’s mercy has come to you so that they, too, will share#11:31 Other manuscripts read will now share; still others read will someday share. in God’s mercy. 32For God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience so he could have mercy on everyone.
33Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!
34For who can know the Lord’s thoughts?
Who knows enough to give him advice?#11:34 Isa 40:13 (Greek version).
35And who has given him so much
that he needs to pay it back?#11:35 See Job 41:11.
36For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.
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