Common English Bible CEB
Revised Standard Version RSV
1 So I ask you, has God rejected his people? Absolutely not! I'm an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.
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I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin.
2 God hasn't rejected his people, whom he knew in advance. Or don't you know what the scripture says in the case of Elijah, when he pleads with God against Israel?
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God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the scripture says of Eli'jah, how he pleads with God against Israel?
3 Lord, they have killed your prophets, and they have torn down your altars. I'm the only one left, and they are trying to take my life.
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"Lord, they have killed thy prophets, they have demolished thy altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life."
4 But what is God's reply to him? I have kept for myself seven thousand people who haven't bowed their knees to Baal.
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But what is God's reply to him? "I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Ba'al."
5 So also in the present time there is a remaining group by the choice of God's grace.
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So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace.
6 But if it is by grace, it isn't by what's done anymore. If it were, God's grace wouldn't be grace.
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But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.
7 So what? Israel didn't find what it was looking for. Those who were chosen found it, but the others were resistant.
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What then? Israel failed to obtain what it sought. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened,
8 As it is written, God gave them a dull spirit, so that their eyes would not see and their ears not hear, right up until the present day.
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as it is written, "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that should not see and ears that should not hear, down to this very day."
9 And David says, Their table should become a pitfall and a trap, a stumbling block and payback to them for what they have done.
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And David says, "Let their table become a snare and a trap, a pitfall and a retribution for them;
10 Their eyes should be darkened so they can't see, and their backs always bent.
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let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs for ever."
11 So I'm asking you: They haven't stumbled so that they've fallen permanently, have they? Absolutely not! But salvation has come to the Gentiles by their failure, in order to make Israel jealous.
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So I ask, have they stumbled so as to fall? By no means! But through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous.
12 But if their failure brings riches to the world, and their defeat brings riches to the Gentiles, how much more will come from the completion of their number!
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Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!
13 I'm speaking to you Gentiles. Considering that I'm an apostle to the Gentiles, I publicize my own ministry
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Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry
14 in the hope that somehow I might make my own people jealous and save some of them.
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in order to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them.
15 If their rejection has brought about a close relationship between God and the world, how can their acceptance mean anything less than life from the dead?
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For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?
16 But if part of a batch of dough is offered to God as holy, the whole batch of dough is holy too. If a root is holy, the branches will be holy too.
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If the dough offered as first fruits is holy, so is the whole lump; and if the root is holy, so are the branches.
17 If some of the branches were broken off, and you were a wild olive branch, and you were grafted in among the other branches and shared the root that produces the rich oil of the olive tree,
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But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in their place to share the richness of the olive tree,
18 then don't brag like you're better than the other branches. If you do brag, be careful: it's not you that sustains the root, but it's the root that sustains you.
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do not boast over the branches. If you do boast, remember it is not you that support the root, but the root that supports you.
19 You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in."
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You will say, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in."
20 Fine. They were broken off because they weren't faithful, but you stand only by your faithfulness. So don't think in a proud way; instead be afraid.
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That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast only through faith. So do not become proud, but stand in awe.
21 If God didn't spare the natural branches, he won't spare you either.
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For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.
22 So look at God's kindness and harshness. It's harshness toward those who fell, but it's God's kindness for you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise, you could be cut off too.
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Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off.
23 And even those who were cut off will be grafted back in if they don't continue to be unfaithful, because God is able to graft them in again.
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And even the others, if they do not persist in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again.
24 If you were naturally part of a wild olive tree and you were cut off from it, and then, contrary to nature, you were grafted into the cultivated olive tree, won't these natural branches stand an even better chance of being grafted back onto their own olive tree?
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For if you have been cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, 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.
25 I don't want you to be unaware of this secret, brothers and sisters. That way you won't think too highly of yourselves. A part of Israel has become resistant until the full number of the Gentiles comes in.
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Lest you be wise in your own conceits, I want you to understand this mystery, brethren: a hardening has come upon part of Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles come in,
26 In this way, all Israel will be saved, as it is written: The deliverer will come from Zion. He will remove ungodly behavior from Jacob.
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and so all Israel will be saved; as it is written, "The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob";
27 This is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins.
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"and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins."
28 According to the gospel, they are enemies for your sake, but according to God's choice, they are loved for the sake of their ancestors.
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As regards the gospel they are enemies of God, for your sake; but as regards election they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers.
29 God's gifts and calling can't be taken back.
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For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.
30 Once you were disobedient to God, but now you have mercy because they were disobedient.
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Just as you were once disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience,
31 In the same way, they have also been disobedient because of the mercy that you received, so now they can receive mercy too.
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so they have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may receive mercy.
32 God has locked up all people in disobedience, in order to have mercy on all of them.
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For God has consigned all men to disobedience, that he may have mercy upon all.
33 God's riches, wisdom, and knowledge are so deep! They are as mysterious as his judgments, and they are as hard to track as his paths!
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O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
34 Who has known the Lord's mind? Or who has been his mentor?
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"For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?"
35 Or who has given him a gift and has been paid back by him?
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"Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?"
36 All things are from him and through him and for him. May the glory be to him forever. Amen.
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For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory for ever. Amen.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.