| Berean Study Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1I ask then, did God reject His people? Certainly not! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. | 1I 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. |
| 2God did not reject His people, whom He foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says about Elijah, how he appealed to God against Israel: | 2No, 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, |
| 3“Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars. I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well”? | 3“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.” |
| 4And what was the divine reply to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” | 4And do you remember God’s reply? He said, “No, I have 7,000 others who have never bowed down to Baal!” |
| 5In the same way, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. | 5It is the same today, for a few of the people of Israel have remained faithful because of God’s grace—his undeserved kindness in choosing them. |
| 6And if it is by grace, then it is no longer by works. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace. | 6And 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. |
| 7What then? What Israel was seeking, it failed to obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened, | 7So 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. |
| 8as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see, and ears that could not hear, to this very day.” | 8As 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.” |
| 9And David says: “May their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution to them. | 9Likewise, 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. |
| 10May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever.” | 10Let their eyes go blind so they cannot see, and let their backs be bent forever.” |
| 11I ask then, did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Certainly not! However, because of their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous. | 11Did God’s people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves. |
| 12But if their trespass means riches for the world, and their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring! | 12Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God’s offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it. |
| 13I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry | 13I am saying all this especially for you Gentiles. God has appointed me as the apostle to the Gentiles. I stress this, |
| 14in the hope that I may provoke my own people to jealousy and save some of them. | 14for I want somehow to make the people of Israel jealous of what you Gentiles have, so I might save some of them. |
| 15For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? | 15For since their rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, their acceptance will be even more wonderful. It will be life for those who were dead! |
| 16If the first part of the dough is holy, so is the whole batch; if the root is holy, so are the branches. | 16And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their descendants will also be holy—just as the entire batch of dough is holy because the portion given as an offering is holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too. |
| 17Now if some branches have been broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others to share in the nourishment of the olive root, | 17But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree—some of the people of Israel—have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree. |
| 18do not boast over those branches. If you do, remember this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. | 18But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root. |
| 19You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” | 19“Well,” you may say, “those branches were broken off to make room for me.” |
| 20That is correct: They were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. | 20Yes, but remember—those branches were broken off because they didn’t believe in Christ, and you are there because you do believe. So don’t think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen. |
| 21For if God did not spare the natural branches, He will certainly not spare you either. | 21For if God did not spare the original branches, he won’t spare you either. |
| 22Take notice, therefore, of the kindness and severity of God: severity to those who fell, but kindness to you, if you continue in His kindness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. | 22Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe toward those who disobeyed, but kind to you if you continue to trust in his kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off. |
| 23And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. | 23And if the people of Israel turn from their unbelief, they will be grafted in again, for God has the power to graft them back into the tree. |
| 24For if you were cut from a wild olive tree, and contrary to nature were grafted into one that is cultivated, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree! | 24You, by nature, were a branch cut from a wild olive tree. So if God was willing to do something contrary to nature by grafting you into his cultivated tree, he will be far more eager to graft the original branches back into the tree where they belong. God’s Mercy Is for Everyone |
| 25I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not be conceited: A hardening in part has come to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. | 25I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ. |
| 26And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come from Zion; He will remove godlessness from Jacob. | 26And so all Israel will be saved. As the Scriptures say, “The one who rescues will come from Jerusalem, and he will turn Israel away from ungodliness. |
| 27And this is My covenant with them when I take away their sins.” | 27And this is my covenant with them, that I will take away their sins.” |
| 28Regarding the gospel, they are enemies on your account; but regarding election, they are loved on account of the patriarchs. | 28Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. |
| 29For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable. | 29For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn. |
| 30Just as you who formerly disobeyed God have now received mercy through their disobedience, | 30Once, you Gentiles were rebels against God, but when the people of Israel rebelled against him, God was merciful to you instead. |
| 31so they too have now disobeyed, in order that they too may now receive mercy through the mercy shown to you. | 31Now they are the rebels, and God’s mercy has come to you so that they, too, will share in God’s mercy. |
| 32For God has consigned everyone to disobedience so that He may have mercy on everyone. | 32For God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience so he could have mercy on everyone. |
| 33O, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and untraceable His ways! | 33Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways! |
| 34“Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor?” | 34For who can know the LORD’s thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice? |
| 35“Who has first given to God, that God should repay him?” | 35And who has given him so much that he needs to pay it back? |
| 36For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen. | 36For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen. |
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