³⁰ But ^(A)many who are ^(B)first will be last, and the last first.

³⁰ And behold, ^(A)some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”

³¹ But ^(A)many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

¹⁶ So ^(A)the last will be first, and the first last.”

Israel's Unbelief

³⁰ What shall we say, then? ^(A)That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, ^(B)a righteousness that is by faith; ³¹ but that Israel ^(C)who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness^{[a] (D)}did not succeed in reaching that law. ³² Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the ^(E)stumbling stone, ³³ as it is written,

²⁰ Now ^(A)the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, ^(B)grace abounded all the more, ²¹ so that, ^(C)as sin reigned in death, ^(D)grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

¹³ But the tax collector, ^(A)standing far off, ^(B)would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but ^(C)beat his breast, saying, ‘God, ^(D)be merciful to me, a sinner!’ ¹⁴ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For ^(E)everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

²⁹ (^(A)When all the people heard this, and ^(B)the tax collectors too, they declared God just,^{[a] (C)}having been baptized with ^(D)the baptism of John, ^30 (E)but the Pharisees and ^(F)the lawyers ^(G)rejected ^(H)the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.)

³¹ Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, ^(A)the tax collectors and ^(B)the prostitutes go into ^(C)the kingdom of God before you. ³² For John came to you ^(D)in the way of righteousness, and ^(E)you did not believe him, but ^(F)the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward ^(G)change your minds and believe him.