Romans 11:16-24

Expanded Bible

¹⁶ If the ·first piece of bread is offered to God [^Lfirstfruits are holy; ^Cthe dough made from the first crops harvested], then the whole ·loaf [batch; ^Llump of dough] is made holy. If the roots of a tree are holy, then the tree’s branches are holy too [^Csince Abraham and the patriarchs were God’s chosen people, so were their Jewish descendants].

¹⁷ It is as if some of the branches from an olive tree [^Csymbolizing Israel] have been broken off. You Gentiles are like the branch of a wild olive tree that has been ·joined [grafted] to that first tree. You now share the ·strength and life [nourishment; ^Lrich/fat root] of the first tree [^Cthe Gentiles now share in the rich blessings promised to Israel through their “root,” Abraham and the patriarchs]. ¹⁸ So do not ·brag about [boast over; consider yourselves superior to] those branches that were broken off. If you ·brag [boast], remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. ¹⁹ [^LThen] You will say, “Branches were broken off so that I could be ·joined to their tree [grafted in].” ²⁰ That is true. But those branches were broken off because they ·did not believe [were unfaithful], and you ·continue to be part of the tree only because you believe [^Lstand by faith]. Do not be ·proud [arrogant], but be ·afraid [in awe]. ²¹ [^LFor] If God did not spare the natural branches, then he will not spare you either.

²² ·So you see [Notice; Consider] that God is kind and also ·very strict [stern; severe; harsh]. He ·punishes [is strict/severe/harsh toward] those who ·stop following him [have fallen]. But God is kind to you, if you continue ·following in [trusting in; ^Lin] his kindness. If you do not, you will also be cut off from the tree. ²³ And if ·the Jews [^Lthey] ·will believe in God again [^Ldo not continue in unbelief], ·he will accept them back [^Lthey will be grafted in]. [^LFor] God is able to ·put them back where they were [graft them in again]. ²⁴ [^LFor] If ·you Gentiles [you] were cut off from a wild olive tree and, contrary to nature, ·joined to [grafted into] a ·good [cultivated] olive tree, how much more will these natural branches [^CJews presently rejecting the gospel] be ·joined to [grafted into] their own olive tree again.