⁹ What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others.

²⁰ Then Isaiah is so bold as to say,

²¹ But of Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”^(B)

Israel’s Rejection Is Not Final

11 I 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.^{(C) 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?^{(D) 3} “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars; I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.” ⁴ But what is the divine reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”^{(E) 5} So, too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. ⁶ But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace would no longer be grace.^[a](F)

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

⁹ And David says,

The Salvation of the Gentiles

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

Israel’s Unbelief

³⁰ What then are we to say? Gentiles, who did not strive for righteousness, have attained it, that is, righteousness through faith,^{(A) 31} but Israel, who did strive for the law of righteousness, did not attain that law.^{(B) 32} Why not? Because they did not strive for it on the basis of faith but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone,^{(C) 33} as it is written,

²⁷ But as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to rule over them—bring them here and slaughter them in my presence.’ ”

⁴³ “Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces its fruits.^(A)