New International Version NIV
GOD'S WORD Translation GW
1 I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.
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So I ask, "Has God rejected his people Israel?" That's unthinkable! Consider this. I'm an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham from the tribe of Benjamin.
2 God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don’t you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel:
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God has not rejected his people whom he knew long ago. Don't you know what Elijah says in the Scripture passage when he complains to God about Israel? He says,
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've killed your prophets and torn down your altars. I'm the only one left, and they're trying to take my life."
4 And what was God’s answer to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”
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But what was God's reply? God said, "I've kept 7,000 people for myself who have not knelt to worship Baal."
5 So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.
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So, as there were then, there are now a few left that God has chosen by his kindness.
6 And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.
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If they were chosen by God's kindness, they weren't chosen because of anything they did. Otherwise, God's kindness wouldn't be kindness.
7 What then? What the people of Israel sought so earnestly they did not obtain. The elect among them did, but the others were hardened,
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So what does all this mean? It means that Israel has never achieved what it has been striving for. However, those whom God has chosen have achieved it. The minds of the rest of Israel were closed,
8 as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see and ears that could not hear, to this very day.”
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as Scripture says, "To this day God has given them a spirit of deep sleep. Their eyes don't see, and their ears don't hear!"
9 And David says: “May their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them.
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And David says, "Let the table set for them become a trap and a net, a snare and a punishment for them.
10 May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever.”
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Let their vision become clouded so that they cannot see. Let them carry back-breaking burdens forever."
11 Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious.
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So I ask, "Has Israel stumbled so badly that it can't get up again?" That's unthinkable! By Israel's failure, salvation has come to people who are not Jewish to make the Jewish people jealous.
12 But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring!
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The fall of the Jewish people made the world spiritually rich. Their failure made people who are not Jewish spiritually rich. So the inclusion of Jewish people will make the world even richer.
13 I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry
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Now, I speak to you who are not Jewish. As long as I am an apostle sent to people who are not Jewish, I bring honor to my ministry.
14 in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them.
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Perhaps I can make my people jealous and save some of them.
15 For if their rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
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If Israel's rejection means that the world has been brought back to God, what does Israel's acceptance mean? It means that Israel has come back to life.
16 If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.
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If the first handful of dough is holy, the whole batch of dough is holy. If the root is holy, the branches are holy.
17 If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root,
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But some of the olive branches have been broken off, and you, a wild olive branch, have been grafted in their place. You get your nourishment from the roots of the olive tree.
18 do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.
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So don't brag about being better than the other branches. If you brag, remember that you don't support the root, the root supports you.
19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.”
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"Well," you say, "Branches were cut off so that I could be grafted onto the tree."
20 Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble.
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That's right! They were broken off because they didn't believe, but you remain on the tree because you do believe. Don't feel arrogant, but be afraid.
21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.
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If God didn't spare the natural branches, he won't spare you, either.
22 Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.
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Look at how kind and how severe God can be. He is severe to those who fell, but kind to you if you continue to hold on to his kindness. Otherwise, you, too, will be cut off [from the tree].
23 And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
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If Jewish people do not continue in their unbelief, they will be grafted onto the tree again, because God is able to do that.
24 After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!
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In spite of the fact that you have been cut from a wild olive tree, you have been grafted onto a cultivated one. So wouldn't it be easier for these natural branches to be grafted onto the olive tree they belong to?
25 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in,
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Brothers and sisters, I want you to understand this mystery so that you won't become arrogant. The minds of some Israelites have become closed until all of God's non-Jewish people are included.
26 and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written: “The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
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In this way Israel as a whole will be saved, as Scripture says, "The Savior will come from Zion. He will remove godlessness from Jacob.
27 And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.”
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My promise to them will be fulfilled when I take away their sins."
28 As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs,
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The Good News made the Jewish people enemies because of you. But by God's choice they are loved because of their ancestors.
29 for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.
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God never changes his mind when he gives gifts or when he calls someone.
30 Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience,
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In the past, you disobeyed God. But now God has been merciful to you because of the disobedience of the Jewish people.
31 so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you.
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In the same way, the Jewish people have also disobeyed so that God may be merciful to them as he was to you.
32 For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.
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God has placed all people into the prison of their own disobedience so that he could be merciful to all people.
33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!
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God's riches, wisdom, and knowledge are so deep that it is impossible to explain his decisions or to understand his ways.
34 “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?”
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"Who knows how the Lord thinks? Who can become his adviser?"
35 “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?”
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Who gave the Lord something which the Lord must pay back?
36 For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.
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Everything is from him and by him and for him. Glory belongs to him forever! Amen!
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GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.