Romans 11
Revised Geneva Translation
11 I say then, has not God thrust away His people? Absolutely not! For I am also an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
2 God has not thrust away His people, whom He knew before. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah; how he intercedes with God against Israel, saying,
3 “Lord, they have killed your Prophets, and dug down Your altars. And I am left alone. And they seek my life”?
4 But what does God say in response to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal”.
5 Even so then, at this present time, there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
6 And if it is of grace, it is no more of works. Or else grace would no longer be grace. And if it is of works, it is no longer grace. Or else work would no longer be work.
7 What then? Israel has not obtained what it sought. But the Elect have obtained it. And the rest have been hardened.
8 Just as it is written, “God has given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear until this day”.
9 And David says, “Let their table be made a snare, and a net, and a stumbling block, and a recompense to them.
10 “Let their eyes be darkened that they do not see and bow down their back continually.”
11 I say then, have they stumbled so that they should fall? Absolutely not! But through their fall, salvation comes to the Gentiles, to provoke them to jealousy.
12 Yet, if their fall is the riches of the world - and their diminishing the riches of the Gentiles - how much more shall their fulfillment be?
13 For in speaking to you Gentiles (inasmuch as I am the Apostle of the Gentiles) I magnify my office,
14 if, somehow, I might provoke those of my flesh to follow them and save some of them.
15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what shall their acceptance be if not life from the dead?
16 For if the firstfruits are holy, so is the whole lump. And if the root is holy, so are the branches.
17 And though some of the branches are broken off, and you (being a wild olive tree) were grafted in among them, and made a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree,
18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember you do not support the root, but the root supports you.
19 You will say then, “The branches have been broken off so that I might be grafted in.”
20 Well said. Through unbelief they have been broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be high-minded, but fear.
21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either.
22 Behold, therefore, the kindness and severity of God - severity toward those who have fallen, but kindness toward you - if you continue in His kindness. Or else you shall also be cut off.
23 And they also, if they do not still remain in unbelief, shall be grafted in. For God is able to graft them in again.
24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree (which is wild by nature) and were grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more shall those who are natural be grafted into their own olive tree?
25 For I do not wish you to be ignorant of this secret, brothers (lest you be wise in your own eyes), that partial blindness has come to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
26 And so all Israel shall be saved. As it is written, “The Deliverer shall come out of Zion, and shall turn away the ungodliness from Jacob.
27 And this is My covenant to them, When I shall take away their sins.”
28 Concerning the Gospel, they are enemies for your sakes. But concerning the election, they are beloved for the Fathers’ sakes.
29 For the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable.
30 For even as you, in times past, had not believed God and yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief,
31 so now have they not believed by the mercy shown to you, so that they may also obtain mercy.
32 For God has shut up all in unbelief, so that He might have mercy on all.
33 O the depth of the riches of both the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!
34 For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who was His counselor?
35 Or who has given to Him first, that he shall be recompensed?
36 For of Him, and through Him, and for Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen.
Romans 11
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 11
The Remnant of Israel.[a] 1 I ask, then: Has God rejected his people? Of course not! I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. You surely must know what Scripture asserts in the passage about Elijah where he pleads with God against Israel: 3 “Lord, they have killed your Prophets, they have torn down your altars. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.”
4 What was God’s response to him? “I have spared for myself seven thousand men who have not knelt before Baal.” 5 So too, at the present time, there is a remnant, chosen by grace. 6 But if it is by grace, then it is no longer by works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.
7 What follows, then? Israel was unable to attain what it was seeking. The elect attained it, but the rest were hardened, 8 as it is written:
“God gave them a spirit of lethargy:
eyes that could not see
and ears that could not hear,
down to this very day.”
9 And David says:
“Let their table become a snare and a trap,
a stumbling block and a retribution for them.
10 Let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see,
and their backs be bent forever.”
11 A Providential Misstep.[b] And so I ask: Have they stumbled so that they might fall? By no means! However, through their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, and this has stirred them to envy. 12 Now if their transgression results in riches for the world, and their loss results in riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full participation bring!
13 Now I am addressing you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I glory in my ministry 14 in the hope that it will arouse the jealousy of those who are of my flesh so that some might be saved. 15 For if their rejection leads to the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
16 The Gentiles’ Salvation.[c] If the firstfruits are holy, then so is the whole lump of dough. And if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in their place to share in the rich root of the olive tree, 18 do not boast over against the branches! If you start to boast, remember that it is not you who support the root but the root that supports you.
19 You will assert, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you hold your place only because of your faith. Therefore, do not rise up in pride but be filled with awe. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he might not spare you either.
22 Therefore, keep in mind the kindness and the severity of God: his severity toward those who fell, but his kindness to you provided that you remain deserving of that kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off, 23 while those who do not persist in their unbelief will be grafted in, since God has the power to do so 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 one, how much more easily will these natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree.
25 All Israel Will Be Saved.[d] I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brethren, lest you think yourselves too wise: this hardening that has afflicted Israel will continue only until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. 26 This is how all Israel will be saved, as it is written,
“The Deliverer will come out of Zion;
he will banish godlessness from Jacob
27 And this will be my covenant with them
when I take away their sins.”
28 As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake. However, as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of the patriarchs. 29 For the gifts of God and his calling are irrevocable.
30 Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now become disobedient in order that, through the mercy shown to you, they too may receive mercy. 32 For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may show mercy to all.
33 The Judgments of God Are Unfathomable.[e] Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments and how unfathomable his ways!
34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?[f]
35 Or who has given him anything
in order to receive something in return?”[g]
36 For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
Footnotes
- Romans 11:1 The threat to “harden” human beings (Isa 29:10) is often cited in the New Testament in censuring seemingly irremediable human blindness (see Mt 13:14; Jn 12:40; Acts 28:26). God is not indifferent to human rejection.
- Romans 11:11 Everything works together to carry out God’s plan, which is to save all human beings. The Gospel, poorly accepted by a large part of Israel, has now been announced to the Gentile world. This fact should stir up the envy of the Israelites and make them take more careful notice of Christ. Paul hopes for their conversion and already foresees it as a passage from death to life, like the great resurrection of the people about which Ezekiel speaks in ch. 37.
- Romans 11:16 As for the Gentile converts who may be tempted to look down on their Jewish brothers, the Apostle recalls their own spiritual origins: the Church was born from the Jewish people; she is the fulfillment of the Remnant of Israel. The Gentiles were grafted like a wild olive shoot onto this olive tree. Each one of them must remember that God has called them out of love and mercy. Even in their rejection of Jesus, the Jews do not lose their quality of belonging to the chosen people.
The lesson is always valid: no one can boast about being saved. Anti-Semitism can be nothing but a scandal in the Christian world: “We are spiritual Semites” (Pope Pius XI). The originality of the Church of Jesus consists in bringing about the unity of humankind, and first of all of the two opposed groups that are the Jews and the Gentiles (Eph 2:14-16). - Romans 11:25 Prolonging the vision of the Prophets, Paul declares that the chosen people have not been definitively rejected; God does not go back on his choice. The coming of salvation remains open to the People of the Promise. The fate of Israel is not closed off from the salvation that it contributes to bring about for the profit of the Gentiles. In spite of detours of an often tragic history, the Lord continues to guide his people toward a glorious destiny in order to show that he saves his people because he loves them. The entry of the Gentiles cannot signify the exclusion of Israel; God’s mercy is for all.
- Romans 11:33 Having arrived at this summit where all humankind is reunited in the salvation of God, Paul cannot refrain from crying out in adoration and admiration.
- Romans 11:34 This citation is from the Septuagint of Isa 40:13.
- Romans 11:35 This citation is from an old Greek version of Job 41:3a and does not coincide with the Hebrew text of Job 41:11a.
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