New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 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.
1
So I say, Has God put his people on one side? Let there be no such thought. For I am of Israel, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
2 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel?
2
God has not put away the people of his selection. Or have you no knowledge of what is said about Elijah in the holy Writings? how he says words to God against Israel,
3 "Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars; I alone am left, and they are seeking my life."
3
Lord, they have put your prophets to death, and made waste your altars, and now I am the last, and they are searching for me to take away my life.
4 But what is the divine reply to him? "I have kept for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal."
4
But what answer does God make to him? I have still seven thousand men whose knees have not been bent to Baal.
5 So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace.
5
In the same way, there are at this present time some who are marked out by the selection of grace.
6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace would no longer be grace.
6
But if it is of grace, then it is no longer of works: or grace would not be grace.
7 What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened,
7
What then? That which Israel was searching for he did not get, but those of the selection got it and the rest were made hard.
8 as it is written, "God gave them a sluggish spirit, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day."
8
As it was said in the holy Writings, God gave them a spirit of sleep, eyes which might not see, and ears which have no hearing, to this day.
9 And David says, "Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them;
9
And David says, Let their table be made a net for taking them, and a stone in their way, and a punishment:
10 let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and keep their backs forever bent."
10
Let their eyes be made dark so that they may not see, and let their back be bent down at all times.
11 So I ask, have they stumbled so as to fall? By no means! But through their stumbling salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous.
11
So I say, Were their steps made hard in order that they might have a fall? In no way: but by their fall salvation has come to the Gentiles, so that they might be moved to envy.
12 Now if their stumbling means riches for the world, and if their defeat means riches for Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!
12
Now, if their fall is the wealth of the world, and their loss the wealth of the Gentiles, how much greater will be the glory when they are made full?
13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I glorify my ministry
13
But I say to you, Gentiles, in so far as I am the Apostle of the Gentiles, I make much of my position:
14 in order to make my own people jealous, and thus save some of them.
14
If in any way those who are of my flesh may be moved to envy, so that some of them may get salvation by me.
15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead!
15
For, if by their putting away, the rest of men have been made friends with God, what will their coming back again be, but life from the dead?
16 If the part of the dough offered as first fruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; and if the root is holy, then the branches also are holy.
16
And if the first-fruit is holy, so is the mass: and if the root is holy, so are the branches.
17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in their place to share the rich root of the olive tree,
17
But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, an olive-tree of the fields, were put in among them, and were given a part with them in the root by which the olive-tree is made fertile,
18 do not boast over the branches. If you do boast, remember that it is not you that support the root, but the root that supports you.
18
Do not be uplifted in pride over the branches: because it is not you who are the support of the root, but it is by the root that you are supported.
19 You will say, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in."
19
You will say, Branches were broken off so that I might be put in.
20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand only through faith. So do not become proud, but stand in awe.
20
Truly, because they had no faith they were broken off, and you have your place by reason of your faith. Do not be lifted up in pride, but have fear;
21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, perhaps he will not spare you.
21
For, if God did not have mercy on the natural branches, he will not have mercy on you.
22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness toward you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.
22
See then that God is good but his rules are fixed: to those who were put away he was hard, but to you he has been good, on the condition that you keep in his mercy; if not, you will be cut off as they were.
23 And even those of Israel, if they do not persist in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again.
23
And they, if they do not go on without faith, will be united to the tree again, because God is able to put them in again.
24 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.
24
For if you were cut out of a field olive-tree, and against the natural use were united to a good olive-tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be united again with the olive-tree which was theirs?
25 So that you may not claim to be wiser than you are, brothers and sisters, I want you to understand this mystery: a hardening has come upon part of Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.
25
For it is my desire, brothers, that this secret may be clear to you, so that you may not have pride in your knowledge, that Israel has been made hard in part, till all the Gentiles have come in;
26 And so all Israel will be saved; as it is written, "Out of Zion will come the Deliverer; he will banish ungodliness from Jacob."
26
And so all Israel will get salvation: as it is said in the holy Writings, There will come out of Zion the One who makes free; by him wrongdoing will be taken away from Jacob:
27 "And this is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins."
27
And this is my agreement with them, when I will take away their sins.
28 As regards the gospel they are enemies of God for your sake; but as regards election they are beloved, for the sake of their ancestors;
28
As far as the good news is in question, they are cut off from God on account of you, but as far as the selection is in question, they are loved on account of the fathers.
29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
29
Because God's selection and his mercies may not be changed.
30 Just as you were once disobedient to God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience,
30
For as you, in time past, were not under the rule of God, but now have got mercy through their turning away,
31 so they have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy.
31
So in the same way these have gone against the orders of God, so that by the mercy given to you they may now get mercy.
32 For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all.
32
For God has let them all go against his orders, so that he might have mercy on them all.
33 O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
33
O how deep is the wealth of the wisdom and knowledge of God! no one is able to make discovery of his decisions, and his ways may not be searched out.
34 "For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?"
34
Who has knowledge of the mind of the Lord? or who has taken part in his purposes?
35 "Or who has given a gift to him, to receive a gift in return?"
35
Or who has first given to him, and it will be given back to him again?
36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.
36
For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things. To him be the glory for ever. So be it.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, 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.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.