Romans 11
1 Therefore, I say, “Didn’t God reject his people?” It’s impossible! You see, I am an Israelite too, from the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God did not reject his people, whom he already knew. Or, haven’t you understood what the scripture says regarding Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? 3 “Lord, they killed your prophets; they demolished your altars. I alone am left,a and they are seeking my very lifeb.”c 4 What did the divine response tell him? “I have leftd for myself 7,000 peoplee who did not bend the knee to Baal.”f 5 So, in the same way, also at this present moment, there has come to be a part that remains based on a generous choice. 6 But if it’s by generosity, then it’s not because of actionsg anymore; otherwise, generosity wouldn’t be generosity anymore.
7 So, what’s the outcome of that? What Israel was earnestly seeking is exactly what it did not attain,h but the chosen attained it. The rest became callous,i 8 just as it has been written, “God allowedj them to experience spiritualk despair,l eyes that don’t see and that don’t hear, until this very day.”m 9 and David says, “May their table become like a trap and like hunting, and like a snare and as repayment to them. 10 May their eyes go dark so they can’t see, and make their backs bend all the time.”n 11 So, I say, “Didn’t they trip and fall?” It’s impossible! Instead, with their staggering,o liberation has been extended to other people groups so as to make them jealous.p 12 Now, if their staggering results in the enrichment of the whole world and their lossq results in the enrichment of other people groups, how much more will result from their full restoration.
13 However, I’m speaking to you who are of other people groups. Therefore, as much as I am an emissary to other people groups, I advertiser my service, 14 so maybe I might provoke my peoples to jealousy and liberate some of them. 15 You see, if their loss results in the reconciliation of the whole world, what will result from them being received if not life from among the dead? 16 If the first portion is sacred, then the dough is sacred, and if the root is sacred, then so are the branches.
17 If some of the branches were cut off, and since you were a wild olive tree, you were grafted in among them and became a sharer with them in the nourishment of the root of the cultivated olive tree, 18 don’t lord it over the branches. If you are lording it over them, remember that you don’t support the root, but rather the root supports you. 19 So, you’ll say, “The branches were cut off so that I could be grafted in.” 20 Fine! They were cut off by their distrust, but you have stood in your place by trust. Don’t think of yourselves as above them but hesitatet 21 since if God did not hold back the natural branches, maybe he won’t hold you back either. 22 So, notice both God’s active kindness and sharpness—sharpness toward those who have collapsed, on the one hand, and God’s active kindness toward you, on the other hand, if you continueu with active kindness;v otherwise, you will be cut off too. 23 Also, if they don’t continuew with distrust, they will be grafted in too since God is able to graft them in again. 24 If, by your nature, you are cut off from a wild olive tree and unnaturally grafted into a cultivated olive tree, then it’s that much more possible for these natural branches to be grafted into their own olive tree!
25 Family, I want you to understandx this mystery so that you won’t be thoughtless toward each other: becoming callously aloof toward a part of them has happened within Israel until the fullness of the other people groups comes in, 26 and in that way all Israel will be liberated, just as it has been written, “The Rescuer will arrive from Zion; he will take away disrespectfulnessy from Jacob. 27 This is my covenant with them, when I remove their deviations.”z
28 While they are hostileaa about the triumphant message because of you, they are also beloved regarding being chosen because of the ancestors. 29 God’s gifts and call cannot be affected by a change of heart.bb 30 Just as you used to refuse to be persuaded by God but now have received loving faithfulness by their unwillingness,cc 31 in the same way, now they also refuse to be persuaded by the loving faithfulness that is yoursdd so that now they can also receive loving faithfulness. 32 God connected everyone togetheree though they were unwillingff so that he could give everyone loving faithfulness.
33 Oh, how deep are God’s riches and wisdom and understanding! How incomprehensiblegg are his decisions and unfathomable his paths! 34 “Who has understood the mind of the LORD? Or who has come to be his advisor?”hh 35 “Or who gave to himii first, and so would be paid back by him?”jj 36 You see, everything is from him and through him and to him. The praise is for him for the ages. Amen.
FOOTNOTES:
a Or ‘left behind’ or ‘left remaining’
b Or ‘very being’ or ‘soul’
c Quotation of 1 Kings 19:14
d Or ‘reserved’ or ‘kept back’ or ‘left behind’ or ‘left remaining’ or ‘left over’
e Or ‘men.’ In the singular, it means ‘man,’ but in the plural it can be used of either a group of mixed genders or a group of males.
f Quotation of 1 Kings 19:18
g Or ‘accomplishment’ or ‘work’ or ‘effort,’ implying that it is not connected in any way to what is deserved or undeserved.
h Or ‘find’
i Or ‘were hardened’ or ‘became numb’ or ‘became unfeeling.’ The image is of being covered over with a callus or scar tissue so that the nerves underneath can’t feel clearly anymore. It is used to represent not feeling compassion anymore or numbing out and closing themselves off to being present to the people and circumstances around them.
j Traditionally, ‘gave.’ While that is the most commonly used English word to translate didomi, many other words are appropriate based on context, such as ‘teach,’ ‘appoint,’ ‘entrust,’ ‘cause,’ ‘permit,’ and many others.
k Or ‘a spirit of’
l This word implies a grief so deep as to lead to numbness of emotions and motivation, lack of attention and focus of mind. The traditional ‘stupor’ technically applies to these things but is typically associated with the choice to drink alcohol to intoxication, leaving it as a moral offense. That is not what is communicated here.
m Reference to Deuteronomy 29:4
n Reference to Psalm 69:22-23
o Or ‘faltering’ or ‘falling to the side.’ Traditionally, ‘transgression’ or ‘trespass’
p Or ‘impassioned’ or ‘motivated to strive.’
q Or ‘defeat’
r Traditionally, ‘glorify’
s Literally, ‘flesh,’ meaning those to whom he is related biologically.
t Or ‘fear’ or ‘be anxiously concerned’
u Or ‘remain’ or ‘stay’ or ‘endure’
v Typically, translations add ‘his’ to this phrase, but it is not present in the Greek. It could be interpreted either as God’s kindness or the audience’s kindness. The dative case of ‘active kindness’ seems to suggest that is describing a manner or means of the enduring, so that it could be ‘enduring kindly’ or ‘enduring by means of kindness.’ The former would be the kindness of the audience, and the latter would make more sense as God’s kindness. Either interpretation works here, though the former seems more likely to this translator.
w Or ‘remain’ or ‘stay’ or ‘endure’
x Literally, ‘I do not want you not to understand’
y Traditionally, ‘ungodliness’
z Reference to Jeremiah 31
aa Traditionally, ‘enemies.’ It should be noted that the Greek word always denotes the one who is hostile or hateful, the aggressor, not the one hated or receiving hostility or aggression.
bb The wording could be understood to be referring to God’s change of heart or the people’s change of heart.
cc Or ‘disobedience’ or ‘obstinacy’ or ‘being unpersuaded’
dd Traditionally, ‘the mercy shown to you’
ee Or ‘locked everyone together’ or ‘enclosed everyone together’
ff Or ‘in unwillingness’ or ‘for unwillingness’ or ‘during unwillingness’ or ‘unwillingly’
gg Or ‘unable to be sought’ or ‘unable to be thoroughly explored/investigated’
hh Quotation of Isaiah 40:13
ii Referring to God
jj Quotation of Job 41:11