Romans 11:1-10
Expanded Bible
God Shows Mercy to All People
11 So I ask: Did God ·throw out [cast away; reject] his people? ·No [Absolutely not; May it never be; 9:14]! I myself am an Israelite from the ·family [descendants; L seed] of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not ·thrown out [cast away; rejected] his people, whom he ·chose [or knew] ·long ago [from the beginning; L beforehand]. ·Surely you know [L Do you not know…?] what the Scripture says about Elijah, how he ·prayed [appealed; complained] to God against the people of Israel. 3 “Lord,” he said, “they have killed your prophets, and they have ·destroyed [torn/burned down] your altars. I am the only one left, and now they are ·trying to kill me, too [seeking my life; 1 Kin. 19:10, 14].” 4 But what ·answer did God give Elijah [L was the divine response]? He said, “But I have ·left [kept for myself] seven thousand ·people [or men] in Israel who have not bowed ·down [L the knee] before Baal [1 Kin. 19:18].” 5 It is the same now. There ·are a few people [is a remnant] that God has chosen by his grace. 6 And if he chose them by grace, it is not ·for the things they have done [by works]. If they could be made God’s people by ·what they did [works], God’s gift of grace would ·not really [or no longer] be a gift.
7 ·So this is what has happened [What follows from this? L What then?]: ·The people of Israel [L Israel] did not ·succeed in [attain; obtain; find] what they were ·striving [looking; seeking] for, but the ·ones God chose [elect] did ·succeed [attain/obtain/find it]. The ·others [rest] were ·made stubborn and refused to listen to God [L hardened]. 8 As it is written in the Scriptures:
“God gave the people a ·dull mind [L spirit of stupor/insensitivity] so they could not understand [Is. 29:10].”
“He ·closed their eyes so they [or gave them eyes that] could not see
and ·their ears so they [or gave them ears that] could not hear.
This continues until today [Deut. 29:4].”
9 And David says:
“Let their ·own feasts [L table] ·trap them and cause their ruin [L become a snare and a trap],
becoming a ·stumbling block [pitfall] and ·paying them back [their retribution].
10 Let their eyes be ·closed [L darkened] so they cannot see
and their backs be ·forever [or continually] ·weak from troubles [L bent over; Ps. 69:22–23].”
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