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
Christian Standard Bible
Israel’s Rejection Not Total
11 I ask, then, has God rejected his people?(A) Absolutely not!(B) For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham,(C) from the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew.(D) Or don’t you know(E) what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he pleads with 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 take my life 4 But what was God’s answer to him? I have left seven thousand for myself who have not bowed down to Baal.[b](G) 5 In the same way, then, there is also at the present time a remnant chosen by grace.(H) 6 Now if by grace,(I) then it is not by works; otherwise grace ceases to be grace.[c]
7 What then? Israel did not find what it was looking for,(J) but the elect did find it. The rest were hardened,(K) 8 as it is written,
9 And David says,
Let their table become a snare and a trap,
a pitfall and a retribution to them.
10 Let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see,
and their backs be bent continually.[e](M)
Israel’s Rejection Not Final
11 I ask, then, have they stumbled so as to fall? Absolutely not! On the contrary, by their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles(N) to make Israel jealous. 12 Now if their transgression brings riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fullness bring!(O)
13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Insofar as I am an apostle to the Gentiles,(P) I magnify my ministry, 14 if I might somehow make my own people[f](Q) jealous and save some of them.(R) 15 For if their rejection brings reconciliation(S) to the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?(T) 16 Now if the firstfruits are holy,(U) so is the whole batch. And if the root is holy, so are the branches.
17 Now if some of the branches were broken off,(V) and you, though a wild olive branch, were grafted in among them(W) and have come to share in the rich root[g] of the cultivated olive tree, 18 do not boast that you are better than those branches. But if you do boast—you do not sustain the root, but the root sustains you.(X) 19 Then you will say,(Y) “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 True enough; they were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand by faith.(Z) Do not be arrogant, but beware,[h](AA) 21 because if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. 22 Therefore, consider God’s kindness and severity: severity toward those who have fallen but God’s kindness(AB) toward you—if you remain in his kindness.(AC) Otherwise you too will be cut off.(AD) 23 And even they, if they do not remain in unbelief,(AE) will be grafted in, because God has the power to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut off from your native wild olive tree and against nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these—the natural branches—be grafted into their own olive tree?
25 I don’t want you to be ignorant(AF) of this mystery,(AG) brothers and sisters, so that you will not be conceited:(AH) A partial hardening has come upon Israel(AI) until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.(AJ) 26 And in this way all[i] Israel will be saved, as it is written,
The Deliverer will come from Zion;
he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
27 And this will be my covenant with them[j](AK)
when I take away their sins.[k](AL)
28 Regarding the gospel, they are enemies for your advantage,(AM) but regarding election, they are loved because of the patriarchs,(AN) 29 since God’s gracious gifts and calling(AO) are irrevocable.[l](AP) 30 As you once disobeyed God but now have received mercy through their disobedience, 31 so they too have now disobeyed, resulting in mercy to you, so that they also may now[m] receive mercy. 32 For God has imprisoned all in disobedience(AQ) so that he may have mercy on all.
A Hymn of Praise
33 Oh, the depth of the riches(AR)
and the wisdom and the knowledge of God!(AS)
How unsearchable his judgments(AT)
and untraceable his ways!
34 For who has known the mind of the Lord?(AU)
Or who has been his counselor?
35 And who has ever given to God,
that he should be repaid?[n](AV)
36 For from him and through him
and to him are all things.(AW)
To him be the glory forever. Amen.
Footnotes
- 11:3 1Kg 19:10,14
- 11:4 1Kg 19:18
- 11:6 Other mss add But if of works it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.
- 11:8 Dt 29:4; Is 29:10
- 11:9–10 Ps 69:22–23
- 11:14 Lit flesh
- 11:17 Other mss read the root and the richness
- 11:20 Lit fear
- 11:26 Or And then all
- 11:26–27 Is 59:20–21
- 11:27 Jr 31:31–34
- 11:29 Or are not taken back
- 11:31 Other mss omit now
- 11:34–35 Jb 41:11; Is 40:13; Jr 23:18
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