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1 I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
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2 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,
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3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.
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4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.
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5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
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6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
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7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.
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8 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.
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9 And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:
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10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.
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11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
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12 Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?
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13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
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14 If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.
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15 For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?
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16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.
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17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
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18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
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19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.
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20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
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21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
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22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
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23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.
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24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?
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25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
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26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
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27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
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28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.
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29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
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30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
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31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
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32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
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33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
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34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
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35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
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36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
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- 1 I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
- 2 God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel?
- 3 “Lord, THEY HAVE KILLED YOUR PROPHETS, THEY HAVE TORN DOWN YOUR ALTARS, AND I ALONE AM LEFT, AND THEY ARE SEEKING MY LIFE.”
- 4 But what is the divine response to him? “I HAVE KEPT for Myself SEVEN THOUSAND MEN WHO HAVE NOT BOWED THE KNEE TO BAAL.”
- 5 In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God's gracious choice.
- 6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.
- 7 What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened;
- 8 just as it is written, “GOD GAVE THEM A SPIRIT OF STUPOR, EYES TO SEE NOT AND EARS TO HEAR NOT, DOWN TO THIS VERY DAY.”
- 9 And David says, “LET THEIR TABLE BECOME A SNARE AND A TRAP, AND A STUMBLING BLOCK AND A RETRIBUTION TO THEM.
- 10 “LET THEIR EYES BE DARKENED TO SEE NOT, AND BEND THEIR BACKS FOREVER.”
- 11 I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous.
- 12 Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be!
- 13 But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry,
- 14 if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them.
- 15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
- 16 If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too.
- 17 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 rich root of the olive tree,
- 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you.
- 19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.”
- 20 Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear;
- 21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either.
- 22 Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.
- 23 And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
- 24 For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?
- 25 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in;
- 26 and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, “THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB.”
- 27 “THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS.”
- 28 From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God's choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers;
- 29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
- 30 For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience,
- 31 so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy.
- 32 For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.
- 33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!
- 34 For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR?
- 35 Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN?
- 36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.
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