Romans 11
Legacy Standard Bible
God Has Not Rejected Israel
11 I say then, has God (A)rejected His people? (B)May it never be! For (C)I too am an Israelite, a seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 [a](D)God has not rejected His people whom He (E)foreknew. (F)Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? 3 “Lord, (G)they have killed Your prophets, they have torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.” 4 But what does the divine response say to him? “(H)I have left for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 In this way then, at the present time, (I)a remnant according to God’s [b]gracious choice has also come to be. 6 But (J)if it is by grace, it is no longer of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.
7 What then? What (K)Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but the chosen obtained it, and the rest were (L)hardened; 8 just as it is written,
“[c](M)God gave them a spirit of stupor,
Eyes to see not and ears to hear not,
Down to this very day.”
9 And David says,
“(N)Let their table become a snare and a trap,
And a stumbling block and a retribution to them.
10 (O)Let their eyes be darkened to see not,
And bend their backs forever.”
Gentiles Grafted In
11 (P)I say then, did they stumble so as to fall? (Q)May it never be! But by their transgression (R)salvation has come to the Gentiles, to (S)make them jealous. 12 Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their [d](T)fullness be! 13 But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as (U)I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14 if somehow I might (V)move to jealousy (W)my [e]fellow countrymen and (X)save some of them. 15 For if their rejection is the (Y)reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but (Z)life from the dead? 16 And if the (AA)first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too.
17 But if some of the (AB)branches were broken off, and (AC)you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became a partaker with them of the [f]rich root of the olive tree, 18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast against them, remember that (AD)it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. 19 (AE)You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 Quite right! They were broken off for their unbelief, but you (AF)stand by your faith. (AG)Do not be haughty, but fear, 21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. 22 Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s (AH)kindness, (AI)if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also (AJ)will be cut off. 23 And they also, (AK)if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?
All Israel Will Be Saved
25 For (AL)I do not want you, brothers, to be uninformed of this (AM)mystery—so that you will not be (AN)wise in your own estimation—that a partial (AO)hardening has happened to Israel until the (AP)fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 26 and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written,
“(AQ)The Deliverer will come from Zion,
He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.”
27 “(AR)And this is [g]My covenant with them,
(AS)When I take away their sins.”
28 [h]From the standpoint of the gospel they are (AT)enemies for your sake, but [i]from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for (AU)the sake of the fathers; 29 for the gifts and the (AV)calling of God (AW)are irrevocable. 30 For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. 32 For (AX)God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.
33 Oh, the depth of (AY)the riches and (AZ)wisdom and knowledge of God! (BA)How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 34 For (BB)who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? 35 Or (BC)who has first given to Him [j]that it might be repaid to him? 36 For (BD)from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. (BE)To Him be the glory [k]forever. Amen.
Footnotes
- Romans 11:2 In OT, Yahweh, cf. Ps 94:14
- Romans 11:5 Lit choice of grace
- Romans 11:8 In OT, Yahweh, cf. Is 29:10
- Romans 11:12 Or fulfillment
- Romans 11:14 Lit flesh
- Romans 11:17 Lit root of the fatness
- Romans 11:27 Lit the covenant from Me
- Romans 11:28 Lit According to the gospel
- Romans 11:28 Lit according to the election
- Romans 11:35 Lit and it will be paid back
- Romans 11:36 Lit to the ages
Romans 11
Common English Bible
Israel and God’s faithfulness
11 So I ask you, has God rejected his people? Absolutely not! I’m an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God hasn’t rejected his people, whom he knew in advance. Or don’t you know what the scripture says in the case of Elijah, when he pleads with God against Israel? 3 Lord, they have killed your prophets, and they have torn down your altars. I’m the only one left, and they are trying to take my life.[a] 4 But what is God’s reply to him? I have kept for myself seven thousand people who haven’t bowed their knees to Baal.[b] 5 So also in the present time there is a remaining group by the choice of God’s grace. 6 But if it is by grace, it isn’t by what’s done anymore. If it were, God’s grace wouldn’t be grace.
7 So what? Israel didn’t find what it was looking for. Those who were chosen found it, but the others were resistant. 8 As it is written, God gave them a dull spirit, so that their eyes would not see and their ears not hear, right up until the present day.[c] 9 And David says,
Their table should become a pitfall and a trap,
a stumbling block and payback to them for what they have done.
10 Their eyes should be darkened so they can’t see,
and their backs always bent.[d]
11 So I’m asking you: They haven’t stumbled so that they’ve fallen permanently, have they? Absolutely not! But salvation has come to the Gentiles by their failure, in order to make Israel jealous. 12 But if their failure brings riches to the world, and their defeat brings riches to the Gentiles, how much more will come from the completion of their number! 13 I’m speaking to you Gentiles. Considering that I’m an apostle to the Gentiles, I publicize my own ministry 14 in the hope that somehow I might make my own people jealous and save some of them. 15 If their rejection has brought about a close relationship between God and the world, how can their acceptance mean anything less than life from the dead?
16 But if part of a batch of dough is offered to God as holy, the whole batch of dough is holy too. If a root is holy, the branches will be holy too. 17 If some of the branches were broken off, and you were a wild olive branch, and you were grafted in among the other branches and shared the root that produces the rich oil of the olive tree, 18 then don’t brag like you’re better than the other branches. If you do brag, be careful: it’s not you that sustains the root, but it’s the root that sustains you. 19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” 20 Fine. They were broken off because they weren’t faithful, but you stand only by your faithfulness.[e] So don’t think in a proud way; instead be afraid. 21 If God didn’t spare the natural branches, he won’t spare you either. 22 So look at God’s kindness and harshness. It’s harshness toward those who fell, but it’s God’s kindness for you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise, you could be cut off too. 23 And even those who were cut off will be grafted back in if they don’t continue to be unfaithful, because God is able to graft them in again. 24 If you were naturally part of a wild olive tree and you were cut off from it, and then, contrary to nature, you were grafted into the cultivated olive tree, won’t these natural branches stand an even better chance of being grafted back onto their own olive tree?
All Israel will be saved
25 I don’t want you to be unaware of this secret,[f] brothers and sisters. That way you won’t think too highly of yourselves. A part of Israel has become resistant until the full number of the Gentiles comes in. 26 In this way, all Israel will be saved, as it is written:
The deliverer will come from Zion.
He will remove ungodly behavior from Jacob.
27 This is my covenant with them,
when I take away their sins.[g]
28 According to the gospel, they are enemies for your sake, but according to God’s choice, they are loved for the sake of their ancestors. 29 God’s gifts and calling can’t be taken back. 30 Once you were disobedient to God, but now you have mercy because they were disobedient. 31 In the same way, they have also been disobedient because of the mercy that you received, so now they can receive mercy too. 32 God has locked up all people in disobedience, in order to have mercy on all of them.
33 God’s riches, wisdom, and knowledge are so deep! They are as mysterious as his judgments, and they are as hard to track as his paths!
34 Who has known the Lord’s mind?
Or who has been his mentor?[h]
35 Or who has given him a gift
and has been paid back by him?[i]
36 All things are from him and through him and for him.
May the glory be to him forever. Amen.
Footnotes
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Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible