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Romans 8:32-15:1
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32 (A)He who did not spare his own Son but (B)gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? (C)It is God who justifies. 34 (D)Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—(E)who is at the right hand of God, (F)who indeed is interceding for us.[a] 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,

(G)“For your sake (H)we are being killed all the day long;
    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than (I)conquerors through (J)him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God's Sovereign Choice

9 (K)I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For (L)I could wish that I myself were (M)accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers,[b] my kinsmen (N)according to the flesh. 4 They are (O)Israelites, and to them belong (P)the adoption, (Q)the glory, (R)the covenants, (S)the giving of the law, (T)the worship, and (U)the promises. 5 To them belong (V)the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, (W)who is God over all, (X)blessed forever. Amen.

6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, 7 and not all are children of Abraham (Y)because they are his offspring, but (Z)“Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 8 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but (AA)the children of the promise are counted as offspring. 9 For this is what the promise said: (AB)“About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.” 10 And not only so, but (AC)also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, 11 though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of (AD)him who calls— 12 she was told, (AE)“The older will serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, (AF)“Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

14 What shall we say then? (AG)Is there injustice on God's part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, (AH)“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion,[c] but on God, who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, (AI)“For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

19 You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For (AJ)who can resist his will?” 20 But who are you, O man, (AK)to answer back to God? (AL)Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 (AM)Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump (AN)one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? 22 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience (AO)vessels of wrath (AP)prepared for destruction, 23 in order to make known (AQ)the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he (AR)has prepared beforehand for glory— 24 even us whom he (AS)has called, (AT)not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? 25 As indeed he says in Hosea,

(AU)“Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’
    and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’”
26 (AV)“And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’
    there they will be called (AW)‘sons of the living God.’”

27 And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: (AX)“Though the number of the sons of Israel[d] be as the sand of the sea, (AY)only a remnant of them will be saved, 28 for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay.” 29 And as Isaiah predicted,

(AZ)(BA)“If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring,
    (BB)we would have been like Sodom
    and become like Gomorrah.”

Israel's Unbelief

30 What shall we say, then? (BC)That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, (BD)a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but that Israel (BE)who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness[e] (BF)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 (BG)stumbling stone, 33 as it is written,

(BH)“Behold, I am laying in Zion (BI)a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense;
    (BJ)and whoever believes in him will not be (BK)put to shame.”

10 Brothers,[f] my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that (BL)they have a zeal for God, (BM)but not according to knowledge. 3 For, being ignorant of (BN)the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. 4 For (BO)Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.[g]

The Message of Salvation to All

5 For (BP)Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that (BQ)the person who does the commandments shall live by them. 6 But (BR)the righteousness based on faith says, (BS)“Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the (BT)abyss?’” (that is, (BU)to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? (BV)“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if (BW)you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and (BX)believe in your heart (BY)that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, (BZ)“Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 (CA)For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; (CB)for the same Lord is Lord of all, (CC)bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For (CD)“everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him (CE)of whom they have never heard?[h] And how are they to hear (CF)without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, (CG)“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 16 But (CH)they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, (CI)“Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17 So (CJ)faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

18 But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for

(CK)“Their voice has gone out (CL)to all the earth,
    and their words to the ends of the world.”

19 But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says,

(CM)“I will (CN)make you jealous of those who are not a nation;
    with a (CO)foolish nation I will make you angry.”

20 Then Isaiah is so bold as to say,

(CP)“I have been found by those who did not seek me;
    I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.”

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

The Remnant of Israel

11 I ask, then, (CR)has God rejected his people? By no means! For (CS)I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham,[i] a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 (CT)God has not rejected his people whom he (CU)foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? 3 (CV)“Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.” 4 But what is God's reply to him? (CW)“I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 So too at the present time there is (CX)a remnant, chosen by grace. 6 (CY)But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.

7 What then? (CZ)Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest (DA)were hardened, 8 as it is written,

(DB)“God gave them a spirit of stupor,
    (DC)eyes that would not see
    and ears that would not hear,
down to this very day.”

9 And David says,

(DD)“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 bend their backs forever.”

Gentiles Grafted In

11 So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass (DE)salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. 12 Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion[j] mean!

13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as (DF)I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry 14 in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and (DG)thus save some of them. 15 For if their rejection means (DH)the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? 16 (DI)If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

17 But if (DJ)some of the branches were broken off, and you, (DK)although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root[k] of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. 19 Then you will say, “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 (DL)stand fast through faith. So (DM)do not become proud, but (DN)fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, (DO)provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise (DP)you too will be cut off. 23 And (DQ)even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.

The Mystery of Israel's Salvation

25 (DR)Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers:[l] (DS)a partial hardening has come upon Israel, (DT)until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,

(DU)“The Deliverer will come (DV)from Zion,
    he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;
27 “and this will be my (DW)covenant with them
    (DX)when I take away their sins.”

28 As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are (DY)beloved for the sake of their forefathers. 29 For the gifts and (DZ)the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 For just as (EA)you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now[m] receive mercy. 32 For God (EB)has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.

33 Oh, the depth of the riches and (EC)wisdom and knowledge of God! (ED)How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

34 “For (EE)who has known the mind of the Lord,
    or (EF)who has been his counselor?”
35 “Or (EG)who has given a gift to him
    that he might be repaid?”

36 For (EH)from him and through him and to him are all things. (EI)To him be glory forever. Amen.

A Living Sacrifice

12 (EJ)I appeal to you therefore, brothers,[n] by the mercies of God, (EK)to present your bodies (EL)as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.[o] 2 (EM)Do not be conformed to this world,[p] but be transformed by (EN)the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may (EO)discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.[q]

Gifts of Grace

3 For (EP)by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you (EQ)not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, (ER)each according to (ES)the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For (ET)as in one body we have many members,[r] and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, (EU)though many, (EV)are one body in Christ, and individually (EW)members one of another. 6 (EX)Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if (EY)prophecy, (EZ)in proportion to our faith; 7 if (FA)service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; (FB)the one who leads,[s] with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with (FC)cheerfulness.

Marks of the True Christian

9 (FD)Let love be genuine. (FE)Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 (FF)Love one another with brotherly affection. (FG)Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, (FH)be fervent in spirit,[t] (FI)serve the Lord. 12 (FJ)Rejoice in hope, (FK)be patient in tribulation, (FL)be constant in prayer. 13 (FM)Contribute to the needs of the saints and (FN)seek to show hospitality.

14 (FO)Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 (FP)Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 (FQ)Live in harmony with one another. (FR)Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.[u] (FS)Never be wise in your own sight. 17 (FT)Repay no one evil for evil, but (FU)give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, (FV)live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, (FW)never avenge yourselves, but leave it[v] to the wrath of God, for it is written, (FX)“Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, (FY)“if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Submission to the Authorities

13 Let every person (FZ)be subject to the governing authorities. For (GA)there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you (GB)will receive his approval, 4 for (GC)he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, (GD)an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also (GE)for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 (GF)Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

Fulfilling the Law Through Love

8 (GG)Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for (GH)the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, (GI)“You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: (GJ)“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore (GK)love is the fulfilling of the law.

11 Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you (GL)to wake from sleep. (GM)For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. 12 (GN)The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us (GO)cast off (GP)the works of darkness and (GQ)put on the armor of light. 13 (GR)Let us walk properly as in the daytime, (GS)not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, (GT)not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But (GU)put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, (GV)to gratify its desires.

Do Not Pass Judgment on One Another

14 As for (GW)the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 (GX)One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and (GY)let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 (GZ)Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master[w] that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

5 (HA)One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. (HB)Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since (HC)he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For (HD)none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, (HE)whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. 9 For to this end Christ (HF)died and lived again, that he might be Lord both (HG)of the dead and of the living.

10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For (HH)we will all stand before (HI)the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written,

(HJ)“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
    and every tongue shall confess[x] to God.”

12 So then (HK)each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Do Not Cause Another to Stumble

13 (HL)Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide (HM)never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus (HN)that nothing is unclean in itself, (HO)but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, (HP)you are no longer walking in love. (HQ)By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. 16 (HR)So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. 17 (HS)For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but (HT)of righteousness and (HU)peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever thus serves Christ is (HV)acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then let us (HW)pursue what makes for peace and for (HX)mutual upbuilding.

20 (HY)Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. (HZ)Everything is indeed clean, but (IA)it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 (IB)It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.[y] 22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. (IC)Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.[z]

The Example of Christ

15 (ID)We who are strong (IE)have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

Footnotes

  1. Romans 8:34 Or Is it Christ Jesus who died… for us?
  2. Romans 9:3 Or brothers and sisters
  3. Romans 9:16 Greek not of him who wills or runs
  4. Romans 9:27 Or children of Israel
  5. Romans 9:31 Greek a law of righteousness
  6. Romans 10:1 Or Brothers and sisters
  7. Romans 10:4 Or end of the law, that everyone who believes may be justified
  8. Romans 10:14 Or him whom they have never heard
  9. Romans 11:1 Or one of the offspring of Abraham
  10. Romans 11:12 Greek their fullness
  11. Romans 11:17 Greek root of richness; some manuscripts richness
  12. Romans 11:25 Or brothers and sisters
  13. Romans 11:31 Some manuscripts omit now
  14. Romans 12:1 Or brothers and sisters
  15. Romans 12:1 Or your rational service
  16. Romans 12:2 Greek age
  17. Romans 12:2 Or what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God
  18. Romans 12:4 Greek parts; also verse 5
  19. Romans 12:8 Or gives aid
  20. Romans 12:11 Or fervent in the Spirit
  21. Romans 12:16 Or give yourselves to humble tasks
  22. Romans 12:19 Greek give place
  23. Romans 14:4 Or lord
  24. Romans 14:11 Or shall give praise
  25. Romans 14:21 Some manuscripts add or be hindered or be weakened
  26. Romans 14:23 Some manuscripts insert here 16:25–27
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Romans 8:32-15:1
New International Version

32 He who did not spare his own Son,(A) but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge(B) against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns?(C) No one. Christ Jesus who died(D)—more than that, who was raised to life(E)—is at the right hand of God(F) and is also interceding for us.(G) 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?(H) Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?(I) 36 As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”[a](J)

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors(K) through him who loved us.(L) 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[b] neither the present nor the future,(M) nor any powers,(N) 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God(O) that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.(P)

Paul’s Anguish Over Israel

9 I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying,(Q) my conscience confirms(R) it through the Holy Spirit— 2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself(S) were cursed(T) and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people,(U) those of my own race,(V) 4 the people of Israel.(W) Theirs is the adoption to sonship;(X) theirs the divine glory,(Y) the covenants,(Z) the receiving of the law,(AA) the temple worship(AB) and the promises.(AC) 5 Theirs are the patriarchs,(AD) and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah,(AE) who is God over all,(AF) forever praised![c](AG) Amen.

God’s Sovereign Choice

6 It is not as though God’s word(AH) had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.(AI) 7 Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”[d](AJ) 8 In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children,(AK) but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.(AL) 9 For this was how the promise was stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”[e](AM)

10 Not only that, but Rebekah’s children were conceived at the same time by our father Isaac.(AN) 11 Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad(AO)—in order that God’s purpose(AP) in election might stand: 12 not by works but by him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”[f](AQ) 13 Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”[g](AR)

14 What then shall we say?(AS) Is God unjust? Not at all!(AT) 15 For he says to Moses,

“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,
    and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”[h](AU)

16 It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.(AV) 17 For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”[i](AW) 18 Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.(AX)

19 One of you will say to me:(AY) “Then why does God still blame us?(AZ) For who is able to resist his will?”(BA) 20 But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God?(BB) “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it,(BC) ‘Why did you make me like this?’”[j](BD) 21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?(BE)

22 What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience(BF) the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction?(BG) 23 What if he did this to make the riches of his glory(BH) known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory(BI)— 24 even us, whom he also called,(BJ) not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?(BK) 25 As he says in Hosea:

“I will call them ‘my people’ who are not my people;
    and I will call her ‘my loved one’ who is not my loved one,”[k](BL)

26 and,

“In the very place where it was said to them,
    ‘You are not my people,’
    there they will be called ‘children of the living God.’”[l](BM)

27 Isaiah cries out concerning Israel:

“Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea,(BN)
    only the remnant will be saved.(BO)
28 For the Lord will carry out
    his sentence on earth with speed and finality.”[m](BP)

29 It is just as Isaiah said previously:

“Unless the Lord Almighty(BQ)
    had left us descendants,
we would have become like Sodom,
    we would have been like Gomorrah.”[n](BR)

Israel’s Unbelief

30 What then shall we say?(BS) That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;(BT) 31 but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness,(BU) have not attained their goal.(BV) 32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone.(BW) 33 As it is written:

“See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble
    and a rock that makes them fall,
    and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame.”[o](BX)

10 Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire(BY) and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. 2 For I can testify about them that they are zealous(BZ) for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. 3 Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.(CA) 4 Christ is the culmination of the law(CB) so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.(CC)

5 Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: “The person who does these things will live by them.”[p](CD) 6 But the righteousness that is by faith(CE) says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’”[q](CF) (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’”[r](CG) (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).(CH) 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,”[s](CI) that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: 9 If you declare(CJ) with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,”(CK) and believe(CL) in your heart that God raised him from the dead,(CM) you will be saved.(CN) 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”[t](CO) 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile(CP)—the same Lord is Lord of all(CQ) and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord(CR) will be saved.”[u](CS)

14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”[v](CT)

16 But not all the Israelites accepted the good news.(CU) For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?”[w](CV) 17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message,(CW) and the message is heard through the word about Christ.(CX) 18 But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did:

“Their voice has gone out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world.”[x](CY)

19 Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says,

“I will make you envious(CZ) by those who are not a nation;
    I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding.”[y](DA)

20 And Isaiah boldly says,

“I was found by those who did not seek me;
    I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me.”[z](DB)

21 But concerning Israel he says,

“All day long I have held out my hands
    to a disobedient and obstinate people.”[aa](DC)

The Remnant of Israel

11 I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means!(DD) I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham,(DE) from the tribe of Benjamin.(DF) 2 God did not reject his people,(DG) whom he foreknew.(DH) Don’t you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to 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 kill me”[ab]?(DI) 4 And what was God’s answer to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”[ac](DJ) 5 So too, at the present time there is a remnant(DK) chosen by grace.(DL) 6 And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works;(DM) if it were, grace would no longer be grace.

7 What then? What the people of Israel sought so earnestly they did not obtain.(DN) The elect among them did, but the others were hardened,(DO) 8 as it is written:

“God gave them a spirit of stupor,
    eyes that could not see
    and ears that could not hear,(DP)
to this very day.”[ad](DQ)

9 And David says:

“May their table become a snare and a trap,
    a stumbling block and a retribution for them.
10 May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,(DR)
    and their backs be bent forever.”[ae](DS)

Ingrafted Branches

11 Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all!(DT) Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles(DU) to make Israel envious.(DV) 12 But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles,(DW) how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring!

13 I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles,(DX) I take pride in my ministry 14 in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy(DY) and save(DZ) some of them. 15 For if their rejection brought reconciliation(EA) to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?(EB) 16 If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits(EC) is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.

17 If some of the branches have been broken off,(ED) and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others(EE) and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, 18 do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.(EF) 19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” 20 Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith.(EG) Do not be arrogant,(EH) but tremble.(EI) 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.

22 Consider therefore the kindness(EJ) and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue(EK) in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.(EL) 23 And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.(EM) 24 After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree,(EN) how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!

All Israel Will Be Saved

25 I do not want you to be ignorant(EO) of this mystery,(EP) brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited:(EQ) Israel has experienced a hardening(ER) in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in,(ES) 26 and in this way[af] all Israel will be saved.(ET) As it is written:

“The deliverer will come from Zion;
    he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
27 And this is[ag] my covenant with them
    when I take away their sins.”[ah](EU)

28 As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies(EV) for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs,(EW) 29 for God’s gifts and his call(EX) are irrevocable.(EY) 30 Just as you who were at one time disobedient(EZ) to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now[ai] receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. 32 For God has bound everyone over to disobedience(FA) so that he may have mercy on them all.

Doxology

33 Oh, the depth of the riches(FB) of the wisdom and[aj] knowledge of God!(FC)
    How unsearchable his judgments,
    and his paths beyond tracing out!(FD)
34 “Who has known the mind of the Lord?
    Or who has been his counselor?”[ak](FE)
35 “Who has ever given to God,
    that God should repay them?”[al](FF)
36 For from him and through him and for him are all things.(FG)
    To him be the glory forever! Amen.(FH)

A Living Sacrifice

12 Therefore, I urge you,(FI) brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice,(FJ) holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform(FK) to the pattern of this world,(FL) but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.(FM) Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is(FN)—his good, pleasing(FO) and perfect will.

Humble Service in the Body of Christ

3 For by the grace given me(FP) I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function,(FQ) 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body,(FR) and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts,(FS) according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying,(FT) then prophesy in accordance with your[am] faith;(FU) 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach;(FV) 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement;(FW) if it is giving, then give generously;(FX) if it is to lead,[an] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Love in Action

9 Love must be sincere.(FY) Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.(FZ) 10 Be devoted to one another in love.(GA) Honor one another above yourselves.(GB) 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor,(GC) serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope,(GD) patient in affliction,(GE) faithful in prayer.(GF) 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need.(GG) Practice hospitality.(GH)

14 Bless those who persecute you;(GI) bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.(GJ) 16 Live in harmony with one another.(GK) Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.[ao] Do not be conceited.(GL)

17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil.(GM) Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.(GN) 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.(GO) 19 Do not take revenge,(GP) my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”[ap](GQ) says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
    if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”[aq](GR)

21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Submission to Governing Authorities

13 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities,(GS) for there is no authority except that which God has established.(GT) The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted,(GU) and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended.(GV) 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.(GW) 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.(GX)

6 This is also why you pay taxes,(GY) for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes;(GZ) if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

Love Fulfills the Law

8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.(HA) 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,”[ar](HB) and whatever other command there may be, are summed up(HC) in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[as](HD) 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.(HE)

The Day Is Near

11 And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come(HF) for you to wake up from your slumber,(HG) because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here.(HH) So let us put aside the deeds of darkness(HI) and put on the armor(HJ) of light. 13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness,(HK) not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.(HL) 14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ,(HM) and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.[at](HN)

The Weak and the Strong

14 Accept the one whose faith is weak,(HO) without quarreling over disputable matters. 2 One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.(HP) 3 The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt(HQ) the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge(HR) the one who does, for God has accepted them. 4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant?(HS) To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

5 One person considers one day more sacred than another;(HT) another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. 6 Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God;(HU) and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives for ourselves alone,(HV) and none of us dies for ourselves alone. 8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.(HW) 9 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life(HX) so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.(HY)

10 You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister[au]? Or why do you treat them with contempt?(HZ) For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.(IA) 11 It is written:

“‘As surely as I live,’(IB) says the Lord,
‘every knee will bow before me;
    every tongue will acknowledge God.’”[av](IC)

12 So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.(ID)

13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment(IE) on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.(IF) 14 I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself.(IG) But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean.(IH) 15 If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love.(II) Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died.(IJ) 16 Therefore do not let what you know is good be spoken of as evil.(IK) 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking,(IL) but of righteousness, peace(IM) and joy in the Holy Spirit,(IN) 18 because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval.(IO)

19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace(IP) and to mutual edification.(IQ) 20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food.(IR) All food is clean,(IS) but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.(IT) 21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.(IU)

22 So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn(IV) himself by what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts(IW) is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.[aw]

15 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak(IX) and not to please ourselves.

Footnotes

  1. Romans 8:36 Psalm 44:22
  2. Romans 8:38 Or nor heavenly rulers
  3. Romans 9:5 Or Messiah, who is over all. God be forever praised! Or Messiah. God who is over all be forever praised!
  4. Romans 9:7 Gen. 21:12
  5. Romans 9:9 Gen. 18:10,14
  6. Romans 9:12 Gen. 25:23
  7. Romans 9:13 Mal. 1:2,3
  8. Romans 9:15 Exodus 33:19
  9. Romans 9:17 Exodus 9:16
  10. Romans 9:20 Isaiah 29:16; 45:9
  11. Romans 9:25 Hosea 2:23
  12. Romans 9:26 Hosea 1:10
  13. Romans 9:28 Isaiah 10:22,23 (see Septuagint)
  14. Romans 9:29 Isaiah 1:9
  15. Romans 9:33 Isaiah 8:14; 28:16
  16. Romans 10:5 Lev. 18:5
  17. Romans 10:6 Deut. 30:12
  18. Romans 10:7 Deut. 30:13
  19. Romans 10:8 Deut. 30:14
  20. Romans 10:11 Isaiah 28:16 (see Septuagint)
  21. Romans 10:13 Joel 2:32
  22. Romans 10:15 Isaiah 52:7
  23. Romans 10:16 Isaiah 53:1
  24. Romans 10:18 Psalm 19:4
  25. Romans 10:19 Deut. 32:21
  26. Romans 10:20 Isaiah 65:1
  27. Romans 10:21 Isaiah 65:2
  28. Romans 11:3 1 Kings 19:10,14
  29. Romans 11:4 1 Kings 19:18
  30. Romans 11:8 Deut. 29:4; Isaiah 29:10
  31. Romans 11:10 Psalm 69:22,23
  32. Romans 11:26 Or and so
  33. Romans 11:27 Or will be
  34. Romans 11:27 Isaiah 59:20,21; 27:9 (see Septuagint); Jer. 31:33,34
  35. Romans 11:31 Some manuscripts do not have now.
  36. Romans 11:33 Or riches and the wisdom and the
  37. Romans 11:34 Isaiah 40:13
  38. Romans 11:35 Job 41:11
  39. Romans 12:6 Or the
  40. Romans 12:8 Or to provide for others
  41. Romans 12:16 Or willing to do menial work
  42. Romans 12:19 Deut. 32:35
  43. Romans 12:20 Prov. 25:21,22
  44. Romans 13:9 Exodus 20:13-15,17; Deut. 5:17-19,21
  45. Romans 13:9 Lev. 19:18
  46. Romans 13:14 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit.
  47. Romans 14:10 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a believer, whether man or woman, as part of God’s family; also in verses 13, 15 and 21.
  48. Romans 14:11 Isaiah 45:23
  49. Romans 14:23 Some manuscripts place 16:25-27 here; others after 15:33.
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