New International Version

New Living Translation

The Remnant of Israel

I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.

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God’s Mercy on Israel

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.

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God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don’t you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah — how he appealed to God against Israel:

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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,

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“Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me”a?

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“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

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And what was God’s answer to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”b

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

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So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.

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It is the same today, for a few of the people of Israelc have remained faithful because of God’s grace — his undeserved kindness in choosing them.

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And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.

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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.

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What then? What the people of Israel sought so earnestly they did not obtain. The elect among them did, but the others were hardened,

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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.

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as 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.”c

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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

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And David says:
“May their table become a snare and a trap,
a stumbling block and a retribution for them.

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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.

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May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,
and their backs be bent forever.”d

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

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Ingrafted Branches

Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious.

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Did 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.

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But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring!

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Now 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.

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I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry

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I am saying all this especially for you Gentiles. God has appointed me as the apostle to the Gentiles. I stress this,

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in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them.

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for I want somehow to make the people of Israel jealous of what you Gentiles have, so I might save some of them.

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For if their rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?

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For 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!

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If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.

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And 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.

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If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root,

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But 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.

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do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.

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But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root.

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You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.”

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

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Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble.

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Yes, 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.

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For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.

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

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Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.

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Notice 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.

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And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.

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And 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.

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After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!

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You, 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.

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All Israel Will Be Saved

I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in,

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God’s Mercy Is for Everyone

I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters,g 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.

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and in this waye all Israel will be saved. As it is written:
“The deliverer will come from Zion;
he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.

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And so all Israel will be saved. As the Scriptures say,
“The one who rescues will come from Jerusalem,h
and he will turn Israeli away from ungodliness.

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And this isf my covenant with them
when I take away their sins.”g

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And this is my covenant with them,
that I will take away their sins.”j

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As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs,

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Many 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.

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for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.

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

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Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience,

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Once, you Gentiles were rebels against God, but when the people of Israel rebelled against him, God was merciful to you instead.

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so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may nowh receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you.

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Now they are the rebels, and God’s mercy has come to you so that they, too, will sharek in God’s mercy.

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For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.

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

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Doxology

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom andi knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!

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Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!

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“Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?”j

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For who can know the LORD’s thoughts?
Who knows enough to give him advice?l

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“Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay them?”k

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And who has given him so much
that he needs to pay it back?m

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For from him and through him and for him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.

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For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.

Parallel

New International Version

New Living Translation

Romans 11

Romans 11