Holman Christian Standard Bible

New Living Translation

1I ask, then, has God rejected His people? Absolutely not! For I too am an Israelite, 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 has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or don't you know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah--how he pleads with 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,

3Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars. I am the only one left, and they are trying to take my life!

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.”

4But what was God's reply to him? I have left 7,000 men for Myself who have not bowed down 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, then, there is also at the present time 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.

6Now if by grace, then it is not by works; otherwise grace ceases to 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? Israel did not find what it was looking for, but the elect did find it. The rest 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 insensitivity, eyes that cannot see and ears that cannot hear, to this 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: Let their feasting become a snare and a trap, a pitfall 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.

10Let their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent continually.

10Let their eyes go blind so they cannot see, and let their backs be bent forever.”

11I ask, then, have they stumbled in order to fall? Absolutely not! On the contrary, by their stumbling, 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.

12Now if their stumbling brings riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full number 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.

13Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. In view of the fact that I am an 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,

14if I can somehow make my own people jealous 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 brings reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance mean 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!

16Now if the firstfruits offered up are holy, so is the whole batch. And 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 of the branches were broken off, and you, though a wild olive branch, were grafted in among them and have come to share in the rich root of the cultivated olive tree,

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 brag that you are better than those branches. But if you do brag--you do not sustain the root, but the root sustains 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.

19Then you will say, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in."

19“Well,” you may say, “those branches were broken off to make room for me.”

20True enough; they were broken off by 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 not spare you either.

21For if God did not spare the original branches, he won’t spare you either.

22Therefore, consider God's kindness and severity: severity toward those who have fallen but God's kindness toward you--if you remain in His kindness. Otherwise you too 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 even they, if they do not remain in unbelief, will be grafted in, because God has the power 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 off from your native wild olive and against nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more 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

25So that you will not be conceited, brothers, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery: A partial hardening 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 in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written: The Liberator will come from Zion; He will turn away 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 will be 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 for your advantage, but regarding election, they are loved because 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.

29since God's gracious gifts and calling are irrevocable.

29For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn.

30As you once disobeyed God, but now have 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, resulting in mercy to you, so that they also now may receive mercy.

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 imprisoned all in disobedience, so that He may have mercy on all.

32For God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience so he could have mercy on everyone.

33Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable 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!

34For 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?

35Or who has ever first given to Him, and has to be repaid?

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.

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.