Romans 11

Israel’s Rejection Is Not Final

¹¹I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin.^{* 2}God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel?^{* 3}“Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars; I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.” ⁴But what is the divine reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”^{* 5}So, too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. ⁶But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace would no longer be grace.^p*

⁷What then? Israel has not achieved what it was pursuing. The elect have achieved it, but the rest were hardened,^{* 8}as it is written,

“God gave them a sluggish spirit,

eyes that would not see

and ears that would not hear,

down to this very day.”^*

⁹And David says,

“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 keep their backs forever bent.”

The Salvation of the Gentiles

¹¹So I ask, have they stumbled so as to fall? By no means! But through their stumbling^q salvation has come to the gentiles, so as to make Israel^r jealous.^{* 12}Now if their stumbling^s means riches for the world and if their loss means riches for gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!

¹³Now I am speaking to you gentiles. Inasmuch as I am an apostle to the gentiles, I celebrate my ministry^{* 14}in order to make my own people^t jealous and thus save some of them.^{* 15}For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? ¹⁶If the part of the dough offered as first fruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; and if the root is holy, then the branches also are holy.

¹⁷But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted among the others to share the rich root^u of the olive tree, ¹⁸do not boast over the branches. If you do boast, remember: you do not support the root, but the root supports you. ¹⁹You will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” ²⁰That is true. They were broken off on account of unbelief,^v but you stand on account of belief.^w So do not become arrogant, but be afraid.^{* 21}For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.^{x 22}Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen but God’s kindness toward you, if you continue in his kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.^{* 23}And even those of Israel,^y if they do not continue in unbelief,^z will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again.^{* 24}For if you have been 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 natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree.

All Israel Will Be Saved

²⁵I want you to understand this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not claim to be wiser than you are: a hardening has come upon part of Israel until the full number of the gentiles has come in.^{* 26}And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,

“Out of Zion will come the Deliverer;

he will banish ungodliness from Jacob.”^*

²⁷“And this is my covenant with them,

when I take away their sins.”^*

²⁸As regards the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but as regards election they are beloved for the sake of their ancestors, ²⁹for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. ³⁰Just as you were once disobedient to God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience,^{* 31}so also they have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they also may now^a receive mercy. ³²For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all.^*

³³O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!^*

³⁴“For who has known the mind of the Lord?

Or who has been his counselor?”^*

³⁵“Or who has given a gift to him,

to receive a gift in return?”

³⁶For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.^*