Romans

A Remnant Chosen by Grace

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”?

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

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.

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.”

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.”

The Ingrafting of the Gentiles

11I ask then, did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery?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 notspare 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!

All Israel Will Be Saved

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 themwhen I take away their sins.”

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.

32For God has consigned everyone to disobedience so that He may have mercy on everyone.

A Hymn of Praise

33O, the depth of the richesof 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?”

35“Who has first given to God,that God should repay him?”

36For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.To Him be the glory forever! Amen.

1I 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:

2God 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,

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

4but what saith the divine answer to him? 'I left to Myself seven thousand men, who did not bow a knee to Baal.'

5So then also in the present time a remnant according to the choice of grace there hath been;

6and 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.

7What then? What Israel doth seek after, this it did not obtain, and the chosen did obtain, and the rest were hardened,

8according 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,

9and David saith, 'Let their table become for a snare, and for a trap, and for a stumbling-block, and for a recompense to them;

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

11I 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;

12and 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?

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

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

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

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

17And 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 —

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

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

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

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

22Lo, 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.

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

24for 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?

25For 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;

26and 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,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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