The Remnant of Israel

11 I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means!^(A) I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham,^(B) from the tribe of Benjamin.^{(C) 2} God did not reject his people,^(D) whom he foreknew.^(E) Don’t you know what Scripture says in the passage 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 trying to kill me”^[a]?^{(F) 4} And what was God’s answer to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”^{[b](G) 5} So too, at the present time there is a remnant^(H) chosen by grace.^{(I) 6} And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works;^(J) if it were, grace would no longer be grace.

⁷ What then? What the people of Israel sought so earnestly they did not obtain.^(K) The elect among them did, but the others were hardened,^{(L) 8} as it is written:

⁹ And David says:

³¹ but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness,^(A) have not attained their goal.^{(B) 32} Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone.^{(C) 33} As it is written:

¹¹ For you this whole vision^(E) is nothing but words sealed^(F) in a scroll. And if you give the scroll to someone who can read, and say, “Read this, please,” they will answer, “I can’t; it is sealed.” ¹² Or if you give the scroll to someone who cannot read, and say, “Read this, please,” they will answer, “I don’t know how to read.”

¹³ The Lord says:

¹² Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.^{(A) 13} This is why I speak to them in parables:

¹⁴ In them is fulfilled^(C) the prophecy of Isaiah:

Belief and Unbelief Among the Jews

³⁷ Even after Jesus had performed so many signs^(A) in their presence, they still would not believe in him. ³⁸ This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet:

³⁹ For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:

⁴¹ Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory^(D) and spoke about him.^(E)

⁴² Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him.^(F) But because of the Pharisees^(G) they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue;^{(H) 43} for they loved human praise^(I) more than praise from God.^(J)

²⁴ Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe.^{(A) 25} They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors when he said^(B) through Isaiah the prophet:

²⁸ “Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation^(E) has been sent to the Gentiles,^(F) and they will listen!”

Ingrafted Branches

¹¹ Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all!^(A) Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles^(B) to make Israel envious.^{(C) 12} But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles,^(D) how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring!

¹³ I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles,^(E) I take pride in my ministry ¹⁴ in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy^(F) and save^(G) some of them. ¹⁵ For if their rejection brought reconciliation^(H) to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?^{(I) 16} If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits^(J) is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.

¹⁷ If some of the branches have been broken off,^(K) and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others^(L) and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, ¹⁸ do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.^{(M) 19} You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” ²⁰ Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith.^(N) Do not be arrogant,^(O) but tremble.^{(P) 21} For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.

²² Consider therefore the kindness^(Q) and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue^(R) in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.^{(S) 23} And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.^{(T) 24} After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree,^(U) how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!

All Israel Will Be Saved

²⁵ I do not want you to be ignorant^(A) of this mystery,^(B) brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited:^(C) Israel has experienced a hardening^(D) in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in,^{(E) 26} and in this way^[a] all Israel will be saved.^(F) As it is written:

²⁸ As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies^(H) for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs,^{(I) 29} for God’s gifts and his call^(J) are irrevocable.^{(K) 30} Just as you who were at one time disobedient^(L) to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, ³¹ so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now^[d] receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. ³² For God has bound everyone over to disobedience^(M) so that he may have mercy on them all.