¹I 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.

²God didn’t reject his people , whom 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 . They have broken down your altars . I am left alone , and they seek my life .”[#1 Kings 19:10,14]

⁴But how does God answer him ? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”[#1 Kings 19:18]

⁵Even so too at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace .

⁶And 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 .

⁷What then ? That which Israel seeks for , that he didn’t obtain , but the chosen ones obtained it , and the rest were hardened .

⁸According 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 .”[#Deuteronomy 29:4; Isaiah 29:10]

⁹David says ,

“Let their table be made a snare , a trap ,

a stumbling block , and a retribution to them .

¹⁰Let their eyes be darkened , that they may not see.

Always keep their backs bent.”

¹¹I 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 .

¹²Now if their fall is the riches of the world , and their loss the riches of the Gentiles , how much more their fullness !

¹³For I speak to you who are Gentiles . Since then as I am an apostle to Gentiles , I glorify my ministry ,

¹⁴if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh , and may save some of them .

¹⁵For if the rejection of them is the reconciling of the world , what would their acceptance be , but life from the dead ?

¹⁶If the first fruit is holy, so is the lump . If the root is holy, so are the branches .

¹⁷But if some of the branches were broken off , and you , being a wild olive , were grafted in amongst them and became partaker with them of the root and of the richness of the olive tree ,

¹⁸don’t boast over the branches . But if you boast , remember that it is not you who support the root , but the root supports you .

¹⁹You will say then , “Branches were broken off , that I might be grafted in .”

²⁰True ; by their unbelief they were broken off , and you stand by your faith . Don’t be conceited , but fear ;

²¹for if God didn’t spare the natural branches , neither will he spare you .

²²See then the goodness and severity of God . Towards those who fell , severity; but towards you , goodness , if you continue in his goodness ; otherwise you also will be cut off .

²³They also , if they don’t continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in , for God is able to graft them in again .

²⁴For 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 ?

²⁵For I don’t desire you to be ignorant , brothers, of this mystery , so that you won’t be wise in your own conceits , that a partial hardening has happened to Israel , until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in ,[#11:25 The word for “brothers” here and where context allows may also be correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.”]

²⁶and 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 .

²⁷This is my covenant with them ,

when I will take away their sins.”

²⁸Concerning the Good News , they are enemies for your sake . But concerning the election , they are beloved for the fathers ’ sake .

²⁹For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

³⁰For as you in time past were disobedient to God , but now have obtained mercy by their disobedience,

³¹even so these also have now been disobedient, that by the mercy shown to you they may also obtain mercy .

³²For God has bound all to disobedience, that he might have mercy on all .

³³Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God ! How unsearchable are his judgements, and his ways past tracing out !

³⁴“For who has known the mind of the Lord ?

Or who has been his counsellor ?”

³⁵“Or who has first given to him ,

and it will be repaid to him again ?”

³⁶For of him and through him and to him are all things . To him be the glory for ever ! Amen.