The Message Bible MSG
The Latin Vulgate VUL
1 Does this mean, then, that God is so fed up with Israel that he'll have nothing more to do with them? Hardly. Remember that I, the one writing these things, am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham out of the tribe of Benjamin. You can't get much more Semitic than that!
1
dico ergo numquid reppulit Deus populum suum absit nam et ego Israhelita sum ex semine Abraham tribu Beniamin
2 So we're not talking about repudiation. God has been too long involved with Israel, has too much invested, to simply wash his hands of them. Do you remember that time Elijah was agonizing over this same Israel and cried out in prayer?
2
non reppulit Deus plebem suam quam praesciit an nescitis in Helia quid dicit scriptura quemadmodum interpellat Deum adversus Israhel
3 God, they murdered your prophets, They trashed your altars; I'm the only one left and now they're after me!
3
Domine prophetas tuos occiderunt altaria tua suffoderunt et ego relictus sum solus et quaerunt animam meam
4 And do you remember God's answer? I still have seven thousand who haven't quit, Seven thousand who are loyal to the finish.
4
sed quid dicit illi responsum divinum reliqui mihi septem milia virorum qui non curvaverunt genu Baal
5 It's the same today. There's a fiercely loyal minority still - not many, perhaps, but probably more than you think.
5
sic ergo et in hoc tempore reliquiae secundum electionem gratiae factae sunt
6 They're holding on, not because of what they think they're going to get out of it, but because they're convinced of God's grace and purpose in choosing them. If they were only thinking of their own immediate self-interest, they would have left long ago.
6
si autem gratia non ex operibus alioquin gratia iam non est gratia
7 And then what happened? Well, when Israel tried to be right with God on her own, pursuing her own self-interest, she didn't succeed. The chosen ones of God were those who let God pursue his interest in them, and as a result received his stamp of legitimacy. The "self-interest Israel" became thick-skinned toward God.
7
quid ergo quod quaerebat Israhel hoc non est consecutus electio autem consecuta est ceteri vero excaecati sunt
8 Moses and Isaiah both commented on this: Fed up with their quarrelsome, self-centered ways, God blurred their eyes and dulled their ears, Shut them in on themselves in a hall of mirrors, and they're there to this day.
8
sicut scriptum est dedit illis Deus spiritum conpunctionis oculos ut non videant et aures ut non audiant usque in hodiernum diem
9 David was upset about the same thing: I hope they get sick eating self-serving meals, break a leg walking their self-serving ways.
9
et David dicit fiat mensa eorum in laqueum et in captionem et in scandalum et in retributionem illis
10 I hope they go blind staring in their mirrors, get ulcers from playing at god.
10
obscurentur oculi eorum ne videant et dorsum illorum semper incurva
11 The next question is, "Are they down for the count? Are they out of this for good?" And the answer is a clear-cut no. Ironically when they walked out, they left the door open and the outsiders walked in. But the next thing you know, the Jews were starting to wonder if perhaps they had walked out on a good thing.
11
dico ergo numquid sic offenderunt ut caderent absit sed illorum delicto salus gentibus ut illos aemulentur
12 Now, if their leaving triggered this worldwide coming of non-Jewish outsiders to God's kingdom, just imagine the effect of their coming back! What a homecoming!
12
quod si delictum illorum divitiae sunt mundi et deminutio eorum divitiae gentium quanto magis plenitudo eorum
13 But I don't want to go on about them. It's you, the outsiders, that I'm concerned with now. Because my personal assignment is focused on the so-called outsiders, I make as much of this as I can
13
vobis enim dico gentibus quamdiu quidem ego sum gentium apostolus ministerium meum honorificabo
14 when I'm among my Israelite kin, the so-called insiders, hoping they'll realize what they're missing and want to get in on what God is doing.
14
si quo modo ad aemulandum provocem carnem meam et salvos faciam aliquos ex illis
15 If their falling out initiated this worldwide coming together, their recovery is going to set off something even better: mass homecoming! If the first thing the Jews did, even though it was wrong for them, turned out for your good, just think what's going to happen when they get it right!
15
si enim amissio eorum reconciliatio est mundi quae adsumptio nisi vita ex mortuis
16 Behind and underneath all this there is a holy, God-planted, God-tended root. If the primary root of the tree is holy, there's bound to be some holy fruit.
16
quod si delibatio sancta est et massa et si radix sancta et rami
17 Some of the tree's branches were pruned and you wild olive shoots were grafted in. Yet the fact that you are now fed by that rich and holy root
17
quod si aliqui ex ramis fracti sunt tu autem cum oleaster esses insertus es in illis et socius radicis et pinguidinis olivae factus es
18 gives you no cause to crow over the pruned branches. Remember, you aren't feeding the root; the root is feeding you.
18
noli gloriari adversus ramos quod si gloriaris non tu radicem portas sed radix te
19 It's certainly possible to say, "Other branches were pruned so that I could be grafted in!"
19
dices ergo fracti sunt rami ut ego inserar
20 Well and good. But they were pruned because they were deadwood, no longer connected by belief and commitment to the root. The only reason you're on the tree is because your graft "took" when you believed, and because you're connected to that belief-nurturing root. So don't get cocky and strut your branch. Be humbly mindful of the root that keeps you lithe and green.
20
bene propter incredulitatem fracti sunt tu autem fide stas noli altum sapere sed time
21 If God didn't think twice about taking pruning shears to the natural branches, why would he hesitate over you? He wouldn't give it a second thought.
21
si enim Deus naturalibus ramis non pepercit ne forte nec tibi parcat
22 Make sure you stay alert to these qualities of gentle kindness and ruthless severity that exist side by side in God - ruthless with the deadwood, gentle with the grafted shoot. But don't presume on this gentleness. The moment you become deadwood, you're out of there.
22
vide ergo bonitatem et severitatem Dei in eos quidem qui ceciderunt severitatem in te autem bonitatem Dei si permanseris in bonitate alioquin et tu excideris
23 And don't get to feeling superior to those pruned branches down on the ground. If they don't persist in remaining deadwood, they could very well get grafted back in. God can do that. He can perform miracle grafts.
23
sed et illi si non permanserint in incredulitate inserentur potens est enim Deus iterum inserere illos
24 Why, if he could graft you - branches cut from a tree out in the wild - into an orchard tree, he certainly isn't going to have any trouble grafting branches back into the tree they grew from in the first place. Just be glad you're in the tree, and hope for the best for the others.
24
nam si tu ex naturali excisus es oleastro et contra naturam insertus es in bonam olivam quanto magis hii secundum naturam inserentur suae olivae
25 I want to lay all this out on the table as clearly as I can, friends. This is complicated. It would be easy to misinterpret what's going on and arrogantly assume that you're royalty and they're just rabble, out on their ears for good. But that's not it at all. This hardness on the part of insider Israel toward God is temporary. Its effect is to open things up to all the outsiders so that we end up with a full house.
25
nolo enim vos ignorare fratres mysterium hoc ut non sitis vobis ipsis sapientes quia caecitas ex parte contigit in Israhel donec plenitudo gentium intraret
26 Before it's all over, there will be a complete Israel. As it is written, A champion will stride down from the mountain of Zion; he'll clean house in Jacob.
26
et sic omnis Israhel salvus fieret sicut scriptum est veniet ex Sion qui eripiat avertet impietates ab Iacob
27 And this is my commitment to my people: removal of their sins.
27
et hoc illis a me testamentum cum abstulero peccata eorum
28 From your point of view as you hear and embrace the good news of the Message, it looks like the Jews are God's enemies. But looked at from the long-range perspective of God's overall purpose, they remain God's oldest friends.
28
secundum evangelium quidem inimici propter vos secundum electionem autem carissimi propter patres
29 God's gifts and God's call are under full warranty - never canceled, never rescinded.
29
sine paenitentia enim sunt dona et vocatio Dei
30 There was a time not so long ago when you were on the outs with God. But then the Jews slammed the door on him and things opened up for you.
30
sicut enim aliquando et vos non credidistis Deo nunc autem misericordiam consecuti estis propter illorum incredulitatem
31 Now they are on the outs. But with the door held wide open for you, they have a way back in.
31
ita et isti nunc non crediderunt in vestram misericordiam ut et ipsi misericordiam consequantur
32 In one way or another, God makes sure that we all experience what it means to be outside so that he can personally open the door and welcome us back in.
32
conclusit enim Deus omnia in incredulitatem ut omnium misereatur
33 Have you ever come on anything quite like this extravagant generosity of God, this deep, deep wisdom? It's way over our heads. We'll never figure it out.
33
o altitudo divitiarum sapientiae et scientiae Dei quam inconprehensibilia sunt iudicia eius et investigabiles viae eius
34 Is there anyone around who can explain God? Anyone smart enough to tell him what to do?
34
quis enim cognovit sensum Domini aut quis consiliarius eius fuit
35 Anyone who has done him such a huge favor that God has to ask his advice?
35
aut quis prior dedit illi et retribuetur ei
36 Everything comes from him; Everything happens through him; Everything ends up in him. Always glory! Always praise! Yes. Yes. Yes.
36
quoniam ex ipso et per ipsum et in ipso omnia ipsi gloria in saecula amen
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.