God’s Love for His People

1So I ask, “God has not rejected his people, has he?” Of course not! I am an Israeli myself, a descendant of Abraham from the tribe of Benjamin. 2God has not rejected his people whom he chosea long ago. Do you not know what the Scripture says in the story about Elijah,b when he pleads with God against Israel? 3“Lord, they have killed your prophets and demolished your altars. I am the only one left, and they are trying to take my life.”c 4But what was the divine reply to him? “I have reserved for myself 7,000 people who have not knelt to worship Baal.”d 5So it is at the present time: there is a remnant, chosen by grace. 6But if this is by grace, then it is no longer on the basis of actions. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace.

7What, then, does this mean?e It means that Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking, but the selected group obtained it while the rest were hardened. 8As it is written,

“To this day God has put them intof deep sleep.

Their eyes do not see, and their ears do not hear.”g

9And David says,

“Let their table become a snare and a trap,

a stumbling block and a punishment for them.

10Let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see,

and keep their backs forever bent.”h

The Salvation of the Gentiles

11And so I ask, “They have not stumbled so as to fall, have they?” Of course not! On the contrary, because of their stumbling, salvation has come to the gentiles to make the Jewsi jealous. 12Now if their stumbling means riches for the world, and if their fall means riches for the gentiles, how much more will their full participation mean!

13I am speaking to you gentiles. Because I am an apostle to the gentiles, I magnify my ministry 14in the hope that I can make my peoplej jealous and save some of them. 15For if their rejection results in reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance bring but life from the dead? 16If the first part of the dough is holy, so is the whole batch. If the root is holy, so are the branches.

17Now if some of the branches have been broken off, and you, a wild olive branch, have been grafted in their place to share the rich root of the olive tree, 18do not boast about being better thank the otherl branches. If you boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19Then you will say, “Branches were cut off so that I could be grafted in.”

20That’s right! They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you remain only because of faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid!m 21For if God did not spare the natural branches, he certainly will not spare you, either.

22Consider, then, the kindness and severity of God: his severity toward those who fell, but God’s kindness toward you—if you continue receiving his kindness. Otherwise, you too will be cut off. 23If the Jewsn do not persist in their unbelief, they will be grafted in again, because God is able to graft them in. 24After all, if you were cut off from what is naturally a wild olive tree, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much easier it will be for these natural branches to be grafted back into their own olive tree!

The Restoration of Israel

25For I want to let you know about this secret, brothers, so that you will not claim to be wiser than you are: Stubbornness has come to part of Israel until the full number of the gentiles comes to faith.o 26In this way, all Israel will be saved, as it is written,

“The Deliverer will come from Zion;

he will remove ungodliness from Jacob.

27This is my covenant with them

when I take away their sins.”p

28As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake, but as far as election is concerned, they are loved for the sake of their ancestors. 29For God’s gifts and calling never change. 30For just as you disobeyed God in the past but now have received his mercy because of their disobedience, 31so they, too, have now disobeyed. As a result, they mayq receive mercy because of the mercy shown to you. 32For God has locked all people in the prison of their own disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.

In Praise of God’s Ways

33O how deep are God’s riches,

and wisdom, and knowledge!

How unfathomable are his decisions

and unexplainable are his ways!

34Who has known the mind of the Lord?

Or who has become his adviser?r

35Or who has given him something

only to have him pay it back?”s

36For all things are from him, by him, and for him.

Glory belongs to him forever! Amen.