Romans, 11

1. What I am saying is this: is it possible that God abandoned his people? Out of the question! I too am an Israelite, descended from Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

1. 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 never abandoned his own people to whom, ages ago, he had given recognition. Do you not remember what scripture says about Elijah and how he made a complaint to God against Israel:

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 put your prophets to the sword, torn down your altars. I am the only one left, and now they want to kill me?

3. Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.

4. And what was the prophetic answer given? I have spared for myself seven thousand men that have not bent the knee to Baal.

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. In the same way, then, in our own time, there is a remnant, set aside by grace.

5. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

6. And since it is by grace, it cannot now be by good actions, or grace would not be grace at all!

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 is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

7. What follows? Israel failed to find what it was seeking; only those who were chosen found it and the rest had their minds hardened;

7. What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded

8. just as it says in scripture: God has infused them with a spirit of lethargy; until today they have not eyes to see or ears to hear.

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. David too says: May their own table prove a trap for them, a pitfall and a snare; let that be their retribution.

9. And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:

10. May their eyes grow so dim they cannot see, and their backs be bent for ever.

10. Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.

11. What I am saying is this: Was this stumbling to lead to their final downfall? Out of the question! On the contrary, their failure has brought salvation for the gentiles, in order to stir them to envy.

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. And if their fall has proved a great gain to the world, and their loss has proved a great gain to the gentiles -- how much greater a gain will come when all is restored to them!

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. Let me say then to you gentiles that, as far as I am an apostle to the gentiles, I take pride in this work of service;

13. For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:

14. and I want it to be the means of rousing to envy the people who are my own blood-relations and so of saving some of them.

14. If by any means I may provoke to emulation [them which are] my flesh, and might save some of them.

15. Since their rejection meant the reconciliation of the world, do you know what their re-acceptance will mean? Nothing less than life from the dead!

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. When the first-fruits are made holy, so is the whole batch; and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

16. For if the firstfruit [be] holy, the lump [is] also [holy]: and if the root [be] holy, so [are] the branches.

17. Now suppose that some branches were broken off, and you are wild olive, grafted among the rest to share with the others the rich sap of the olive tree;

17. And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;

18. then it is not for you to consider yourself superior to the other branches; and if you start feeling proud, think: it is not you that sustain the root, but the root that sustains you.

18. Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.

19. You will say, 'Branches were broken off on purpose for me to be grafted in.' True;

19. Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.

20. they through their unbelief were broken off, and you are established through your faith. So it is not pride that you should have, but fear:

20. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:

21. if God did not spare the natural branches, he might not spare you either.

21. For if God spared not the natural branches, [take heed] lest he also spare not thee.

22. Remember God's severity as well as his goodness: his severity to those who fell, and his goodness to you as long as you persevere in it; if not, you too will be cut off.

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, if they do not persevere in their unbelief, will be grafted in; for it is within the power of God to graft them back again.

23. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.

24. After all, if you, cut off from what was by nature a wild olive, could then be grafted unnaturally on to a cultivated olive, how much easier will it be for them, the branches that naturally belong there, to be grafted on to the olive tree which is their own.

24. For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural [branches], be graffed into their own olive tree?

25. I want you to be quite certain, brothers, of this mystery, to save you from congratulating yourselves on your own good sense: part of Israel had its mind hardened, but only until the gentiles have wholly come in;

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 this is how all Israel will be saved. As scripture says: From Zion will come the Redeemer, he will remove godlessness from Jacob.

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. And this will be my covenant with them, when I take their sins away.

27. For this [is] my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

28. As regards the gospel, they are enemies, but for your sake; but as regards those who are God's choice, they are still well loved for the sake of their ancestors.

28. As concerning the gospel, [they are] enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, [they are] beloved for the fathers' sakes.

29. There is no change of mind on God's part about the gifts he has made or of his choice.

29. For the gifts and calling of God [are] without repentance.

30. Just as you were in the past disobedient to God but now you have been shown mercy, through their disobedience;

30. For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:

31. so in the same way they are disobedient now, so that through the mercy shown to you they too will receive mercy.

31. Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

32. God has imprisoned all human beings in their own disobedience only to show mercy to them all.

32. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

33. How rich and deep are the wisdom and the knowledge of God! We cannot reach to the root of his decisions or his ways.

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. Who has ever known the mind of the Lord? Who has ever been his adviser?

34. For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

35. Who has given anything to him, so that his presents come only as a debt returned?

35. Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?

36. Everything there is comes from him and is caused by him and exists for him. To him be glory for ever! Amen.

36. For of him, and through him, and to him, [are] all things: to whom [be] glory for ever. Amen.