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11 So oun I ask legō, has God theos repudiated apōtheō · ho · ho his autos people laos? By no means ! · kai For gar I myself egō am eimi an Israelite Israēlitēs, a descendant ek sperma of Abraham Abraam, from the tribe phylē of Benjamin Beniamin. God theos has not ou repudiated apōtheō · ho · ho his autos people laos whom hos he foreknew proginōskō. Or ē do you not ou know oida what tis the ho Scripture graphē says legō in en the passage about Elijah ēlias, how hōs he pleads entynchanō with ho God theos against kata · ho Israel Israēl? Lord kyrios, they have killed apokteinō · ho your sy prophets prophētēs, they have torn down kataskaptō · ho your sy altars thusiastērion, and kagō I alone monos am left hypoleipō, and kai they are seeking zēteō · ho my egō life psychē.” But alla what tis was the ho divine reply chrēmatismos saying legō to him autos? “ I have kept kataleipō for myself emautou seven heptakischilioi thousand men anēr who hostis have not ou bowed kamptō the knee gony to ho Baal Baal.” So houtōs too kai at en the ho present nyn time kairos there is ginomai a remnant leimma, chosen eklogē by kata grace charis. And de if ei it is by grace charis, it is no ouketi longer on ek the basis of works ergon, otherwise epei · ho grace charis would no ouketi longer be ginomai grace charis. What tis then oun? Israel Israēl failed ou to obtain epitynchanō what hos it was seeking epizēteō, but de the ho elect eklogē obtained epitynchanō it. The ho · de rest loipos were hardened pōroō, as kathōs it is written graphō, “ God theos gave didōmi them autos · ho a spirit pneuma of stupor katanyxis, eyes ophthalmos that ho would not see blepō and kai ears ous that ho would not hear akouō, to heōs this ho very sēmeron day hēmera.” And kai David Dauid says legō, “ May their autos table trapeza become ginomai · ho a snare pagis and kai a trap thēra, · kai a stumbling skandalon block and kai a retribution antapodoma for them autos. 10 May their autos eyes ophthalmos be darkened · ho so ho they cannot see blepō, and kai keep · ho their autos backs nōtos constantly dia pas bent synkamptō.”

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God’s Mercy on Israel

11 I ask, then, has God rejected his own people, the nation of Israel? Of course not! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham and a member of the tribe of Benjamin.

No, God has not rejected his own people, whom he chose from the very beginning. Do you realize what the Scriptures say about this? Elijah the prophet complained to God about the people of Israel and said, Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”[a]

And do you remember God’s reply? He said, “No, I have 7,000 others who have never bowed down to Baal!”[b]

It is the same today, for a few of the people of Israel[c] have remained faithful because of God’s grace—his undeserved kindness in choosing them. And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved.

So this is the situation: Most of the people of Israel have not found the favor of God they are looking for so earnestly. A few have—the ones God has chosen—but the hearts of the rest were hardened. As the Scriptures say,

“God has put them into a deep sleep.
To this day he has shut their eyes so they do not see,
    and closed their ears so they do not hear.”[d]

Likewise, David said,

“Let their bountiful table become a snare,
    a trap that makes them think all is well.
Let their blessings cause them to stumble,
    and let them get what they deserve.
10 Let their eyes go blind so they cannot see,
    and let their backs be bent forever.”[e]

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Footnotes

  1. 11:3 1 Kgs 19:10, 14.
  2. 11:4 1 Kgs 19:18.
  3. 11:5 Greek for a remnant.
  4. 11:8 Isa 29:10; Deut 29:4.
  5. 11:9-10 Ps 69:22-23 (Greek version).