Romans 11

11 ¹ I ask then, has our Father rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. ² Our Father did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to our Father against Israel? ³ "Father, they have killed your prophets, they have torn down your altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life."

⁴ But what is the divine reply to him? "I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal." ^a a v4 Baal was the chief Canaanite idol, widely worshiped across Israel in Elijah's day.

⁵ So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. ⁶ But if by grace, then it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.

⁷ What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The chosen obtained it, but the rest were hardened, ⁸ as it is written, "Our Father gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day."

⁹ And David says, "Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them; ¹⁰ let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs forever."

¹¹ So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall completely? By no means! Rather, through their sin salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. ¹² Now if their sin means riches for the world, and their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!

¹³ Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, ¹⁴ in the hope that I may somehow make my own people jealous and save some of them. ¹⁵ For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? ¹⁶ If the firstfruits are holy, so is the whole batch; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. ¹⁷ But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among them and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, ¹⁸ do not boast over the branches. If you do boast, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. ¹⁹ Then you will say, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in." ²⁰ That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand firm through faith. So do not be proud, but stand in awe. ²¹ For if our Father did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. ²² See, then, the kindness and severity of our Father: severity toward those who have fallen, but his kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off. ²³ And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for our Father has the power to graft them in again. ²⁴ For if you were cut from an olive tree that is wild by nature and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree.

All Israel Will Be Saved

²⁵ I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be wise in your own eyes: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. ²⁶ And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, "The Deliverer will come out of Zion; he will banish ungodliness from Jacob; ^b b v26 The Deliverer who comes from Zion is Jesus — the rescuer our Father promised through Isaiah, who turns his people back from sin. ²⁷ and this will be my covenant with them, when I take away their sins."

²⁸ As for the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as for election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. ²⁹ For the gifts and the calling of our Father are irrevocable. ³⁰ For just as you were once disobedient to our Father but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, ³¹ so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. ³² For our Father has bound everyone over to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.

³³ Oh, the depth of the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of our Father! How unsearchable are his judgments and how untraceable his ways! ³⁴ "For who has known the mind of our Father, or who has been his counselor?" ³⁵ "Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?" ³⁶ For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.