Good News Translation GNT
World English Bible WEB
1 I ask, then: Did God reject his own people? Certainly not! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin.
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I ask then, Did God reject his people? May it never be! For I also am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
2 God has not rejected his people, whom he chose from the beginning. You know what the scripture says in the passage where Elijah pleads with God against Israel:
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God didn't reject his people, which he foreknew. Or don't you know what the Scripture says about Elijah? How he pleads with God against Israel:
3 "Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me."
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"Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have broken down your altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life."
4 What answer did God give him? "I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not worshiped the false god Baal."
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But how does God answer him? "I have reserved for myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal."
5 It is the same way now: there is a small number left of those whom God has chosen because of his grace.
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Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
6 His choice is based on his grace, not on what they have done. For if God's choice were based on what people do, then his grace would not be real grace.
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And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.
7 What then? The people of Israel did not find what they were looking for. It was only the small group that God chose who found it; the rest grew deaf to God's call.
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What then? That which Israel seeks for, that he didn't obtain, but the election obtained it, and the rest were hardened.
8 As the scripture says, "God made their minds and hearts dull; to this very day they cannot see or hear."
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According as it is written, "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, to this very day."
9 And David says, "May they be caught and trapped at their feasts; may they fall, may they be punished!
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David says, "Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, A stumbling block, and a retribution to them.
10 May their eyes be blinded so that they cannot see; and make them bend under their troubles at all times."
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Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see. Bow down their back always."
11 I ask, then: When the Jews stumbled, did they fall to their ruin? By no means! Because they sinned, salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make the Jews jealous of them.
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I ask then, did they stumble that they might fall? May it never be! But by their fall salvation has come to the Gentiles, to provoke them to jealousy.
12 The sin of the Jews brought rich blessings to the world, and their spiritual poverty brought rich blessings to the Gentiles. Then, how much greater the blessings will be when the complete number of Jews is included!
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Now if their fall is the riches of the world, and their loss the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fullness?
13 I am speaking now to you Gentiles: As long as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I will take pride in my work.
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For I speak to you who are Gentiles. Since then as I am an apostle to Gentiles, I glorify my ministry;
14 Perhaps I can make the people of my own race jealous, and so be able to save some of them.
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if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh, and may save some of them.
15 For when they were rejected, all other people were changed from God's enemies into his friends. What will it be, then, when they are accepted? It will be life for the dead!
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For if the rejection of them [is] the reconciling of the world, what would the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?
16 If the first piece of bread is given to God, then the whole loaf is his also; and if the roots of a tree are offered to God, the branches are his also.
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If the first fruit is holy, so is the lump. If the root is holy, so are the branches.
17 Some of the branches of the cultivated olive tree have been broken off, and a branch of a wild olive tree has been joined to it. You Gentiles are like that wild olive tree, and now you share the strong spiritual life of the Jews.
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But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them, and became partaker with them of the root of the richness of the olive tree;
18 So then, you must not despise those who were broken off like branches. How can you be proud? You are just a branch; you don't support the roots - the roots support you.
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don't boast over the branches. But if you boast, it is not you who bear the root, but the root you.
19 But you will say, "Yes, but the branches were broken off to make room for me."
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You will say then, "Branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in."
20 That is true. They were broken off because they did not believe, while you remain in place because you do believe. But do not be proud of it; instead, be afraid.
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True; by their unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by your faith. Don't be conceited, but fear;
21 God did not spare the Jews, who are like natural branches; do you think he will spare you?
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for if God didn't spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.
22 Here we see how kind and how severe God is. He is severe toward those who have fallen, but kind to you - if you continue in his kindness. But if you do not, you too will be broken off.
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See then the goodness and severity of God. Toward those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in his goodness; otherwise you also will be cut off.
23 And if the Jews abandon their unbelief, they will be put back in the place where they were; for God is able to do that.
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They also, if they don't continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
24 You Gentiles are like the branch of a wild olive tree that is broken off and then, contrary to nature, is joined to a cultivated olive tree. The Jews are like this cultivated tree; and it will be much easier for God to join these broken-off branches to their own tree again.
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For if you were cut out of that which is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree, how much more will these, which are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
25 There is a secret truth, my friends, which I want you to know, for it will keep you from thinking how wise you are. It is that the stubbornness of the people of Israel is not permanent, but will last only until the complete number of Gentiles comes to God.
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For I don't desire, brothers, to have you ignorant of this mystery, so that you won't be wise in your own conceits, that a hardening in part has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in,
26 And this is how all Israel will be saved. As the scripture says, "The Savior will come from Zion and remove all wickedness from the descendants of Jacob.
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and so all Israel will be saved. Even as it is written, "There will come out of Zion the Deliverer, And he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob.
27 I will make this covenant with them when I take away their sins."
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This is my covenant to them, When I will take away their sins."
28 Because they reject the Good News, the Jews are God's enemies for the sake of you Gentiles. But because of God's choice, they are his friends because of their ancestors.
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Concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But concerning the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sake.
29 For God does not change his mind about whom he chooses and blesses.
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For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
30 As for you Gentiles, you disobeyed God in the past; but now you have received God's mercy because the Jews were disobedient.
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For as you in time past were disobedient to God, but now have obtained mercy by their disobedience,
31 In the same way, because of the mercy that you have received, the Jews now disobey God, in order that they also may now receive God's mercy.
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even so these also have now been disobedient, that by the mercy shown to you they may also obtain mercy.
32 For God has made all people prisoners of disobedience, so that he might show mercy to them all.
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For God has shut up all to disobedience, that he might have mercy on all.
33 How great are God's riches! How deep are his wisdom and knowledge! Who can explain his decisions? Who can understand his ways?
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Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out!
34 As the scripture says, "Who knows the mind of the Lord? Who is able to give him advice?
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"For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?"
35 Who has ever given him anything, so that he had to pay it back?"
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"Or who has first given to him, And it will be repaid to him again?"
36 For all things were created by him, and all things exist through him and for him. To God be the glory forever! Amen.
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For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things. To him be the glory for ever! Amen.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.
The World English Bible is in the public domain.