Romans 11
1I ask then, has God rejected his people? Absolutely not! For I also am an Israelite, from the seed of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.
2God did not reject his people whom he foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he made an appeal to God against Israel?
3Lord, they have killed your prophets and have torn down your altars, and I am the only one left, and they seek to take my life.
4But what was God’s response to him? I have preserved for myself 7,000 men, who have not bowed down to Baal.
5In the same way, then, at the present time there has also come to be a remnant, according to God’s choice on the basis of grace.
6But if it is on the basis of grace, then it is not on the basis of works; otherwise, grace would no longer be grace.
7What then? Israel did not obtain what it earnestly sought after, but those who were chosen did obtain it, and the rest were hardened,
8as it is written: God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear, to this very day.
9And David says, Let their dining table become a snare and a trap and a pitfall and a retribution to them.
10Let their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and make their backs bent continually.
11I ask then, did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Absolutely not! But because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles in order to make Israel jealous.
12Now if their transgression resulted in riches for the world, and their failure resulted in riches for the Gentiles, how much more riches will their complete number bring!
13Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Precisely because I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,
14if somehow I can make my own people jealous and save some of them.
15For if their rejection has resulted in reconciliation for the world, what will their acceptance result in but life from among the dead?
16Now if the first portion of dough offered is holy, so is the whole batch, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.
17Now if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them and became a fellow partaker with them of the rich root of the cultivated olive tree,
18do not boast as if you are better than those branches. But if you boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.
19You will then say, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.”
20Quite so. They were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by trust. Do not be arrogant but fear God,
21because if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you.
22Therefore, consider the kindness and severity of God: severity toward those who fell, but God’s kindness toward you, if you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.
23And even they—if they do not continue in their unbelief—will be grafted in, because 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 certainly will these—the natural branches—be grafted back into their own olive tree?
25For I do not want you to be ignorant of this sacred secret, brothers and sisters—so that you will not become wise in your own estimation—that a hardening has come on part of Israel until the complete number of the Gentiles has come in.
26And in that way all Israel will be saved, as it is written: The Deliverer will come from Zion; he will remove ungodliness from Jacob.
27And this will be my covenant with them, when I take away their sins.
28In regard to the good news, they are enemies, which turns out to benefit you, but in regard to God’s choice, they are beloved because of the promises to the Fathers,
29since the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
30Just as you were previously disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy as a result of their disobedience,
31so also they now have become disobedient, and as a result mercy has been shown to you, so that they also may now be shown mercy.
32For God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience, so that he may show mercy to them all.
33O the depth of the riches of both the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and untraceable his ways!
34For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?
35Or who has first given a gift to God, that God must then repay him?”
36For from him, and through him, and to him, are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.