The Remnant of Israel

¹I ask, then, hhas God rejected his people? By no means! For iI myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham,1 a member of the tribe of Benjamin. ²jGod has not rejected his people whom he kforeknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? ³l“Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.” ⁴But what is God's reply to him? m“I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” ⁵So too at the present time there is na remnant, chosen by grace. ⁶oBut if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.

⁷What then? pIsrael failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest qwere hardened, ⁸as it is written,

r“God gave them a spirit of stupor,

seyes that would not see

and ears that would not hear,

down to this very day.”

⁹And David says,

t“Let their table become a snare and a trap,

a stumbling block and a retribution for them;

¹⁰let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see,

and bend their backs forever.”

Gentiles Grafted In

¹¹So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass usalvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. ¹²Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion2 mean!

¹³Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as vI am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry ¹⁴in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and wthus save some of them. ¹⁵For if their rejection means xthe reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? ¹⁶yIf the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

¹⁷But if zsome of the branches were broken off, and you, aalthough a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root3 of the olive tree, ¹⁸do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. ¹⁹Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” ²⁰That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you bstand fast through faith. So cdo not become proud, but dfear. ²¹For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. ²²Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, eprovided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise fyou too will be cut off. ²³And geven they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. ²⁴For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.

The Mystery of Israel's Salvation

²⁵hLest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers:4 ia partial hardening has come upon Israel, juntil the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. ²⁶And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,

k“The Deliverer will come lfrom Zion,

he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;

²⁷“and this will be my mcovenant with them

nwhen I take away their sins.”

²⁸As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are obeloved for the sake of their forefathers. ²⁹For the gifts and pthe calling of God are irrevocable. ³⁰For just as qyou were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, ³¹so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now5 receive mercy. ³²For God rhas consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.

³³Oh, the depth of the riches and swisdom and knowledge of God! tHow unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

³⁴“For uwho has known the mind of the Lord,

or vwho has been his counselor?”

³⁵“Or wwho has given a gift to him

that he might be repaid?”

³⁶For xfrom him and through him and to him are all things. yTo him be glory forever. Amen.