2 ARST God did not discard his people.{ They are the people} whom he chose in advance. You certainly are aware of what the Prophet Elijah said in the Scriptures when he appealed to God against the people of Israel! BSB BSB: God did not reject His people, whom He foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says about Elijah, how he appealed to God against Israel:
3 ARST { Elijah said,}“Lord, the people of Israel murdered{ all of} your prophets{ except for me}! They demolished{ all of} your altars! I am the very last{ prophet} who is still alive! Now, they are trying to kill me{ too}!” BSB BSB: “Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars. I am the only one left, and they are seeking my life as well”?
4 ARST However, this is how God replied to Elijah,“I have kept alive 7, 000 men for my purposes. These men have not worshipped{ the false god} Baal.” BSB BSB: And what was the divine reply to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”
5 ARST So, similarly, at this time some faithful Israelites also remain.{ This is} because God has graciously chosen them{ to remain}. BSB BSB: In the same way, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.
6 ARST Yet because{ God chooses his people} based on how gracious he is,{ God} does not{ choose his people} based on what they do.{ If God chose people based on what they do,} then how gracious he is would not{ really} be gracious. BSB BSB: And if it is by grace, then it is no longer by works. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace.
7 ARST So this is what we should conclude: Although{ the people of} Israel keep trying to make themselves righteous, they cannot do so. Instead, those whom God{ graciously} chose{ from them} became righteous. But God made stubborn those people of Israel whom he did not{ graciously} choose. BSB BSB: What then? What Israel was seeking, it failed to obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened,
8 ARST This is exactly{ what God meant when he wrote} in the Scriptures,“God caused the people of Israel to not think properly. Until this present day, God has made them completely unable to understand{ how to become righteous}.” BSB BSB: 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.”
9 ARST David also stated{ in the Scriptures},“{ O God}, make the luxurious way they live punish them completely{ like a hunter catches an animal} in a net or trap!{ Make the luxurious way they live} cause them to sin and pay them back{ for sinning}! BSB BSB: And David says: “May their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution to them.
10 ARST Make them unable to understand! Make them suffer like slaves forever!” BSB BSB: May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever.”
11 ARST Since{ these things are true}, this is what I say,“The Jewish people were certainly not offended in order that God would completely reject them!” Of course not! Rather, God saves non- Jewish people because the Jewish people disobeyed{ him}. This happened in order for God to make the Jewish people envious{ of non- Jewish people who know him}. BSB BSB: I ask then, did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Certainly not! However, because of their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous.
12 ARST Indeed, God used how the Jewish people disobeyed{ him and} failed{ to make themselves righteous} to abundantly bless people from all the nations in the whole world. So,{ when} the complete amount of{ faithful} Jewish people{ become righteous}, there will be even greater blessings! BSB BSB: But if their trespass means riches for the world, and their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!
13 ARST But now I am speaking to you{ non- Jewish people who trust in Jesus}. God indeed made me his representative to non- Jewish people. Therefore, I show how glorious is what I do to minister{ to non- Jewish people}. BSB BSB: I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry
14 ARST If possible, I want to make those who I am physically related to, the Jews, envious{ of the non- Jewish people who know God}, so that God will save some of them. BSB BSB: in the hope that I may provoke my own people to jealousy and save some of them.
15 ARST Indeed, God is reconciling with{ people in} the world as a result of him rejecting the Jewish people. So, when God accepts the Jewish people, it will result in God making alive those who are dead. BSB BSB: For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
16 ARST Indeed, because{ the ancestors of the Jewish people belong to God, just like} the first portion{ of a lump of dough} belongs to God,{ all the Jewish people belong to God, just like} that whole lump of dough{ belongs to God}. Also, because{ the ancestors of the Jewish people belonged to God, just like} the root{ of an olive tree} belongs to God,{ all the Jewish people belong to God, just like} the branches of that{ same} tree{ belong to God}. BSB BSB: If the first part of the dough is holy, so is the whole batch; if the root is holy, so are the branches.
17 ARST Indeed,{ God has removed some of the Jewish people from his people, as} a farmer breaks{ unfruitful} branches off{ of an olive tree}. But,{ God has made} you{ non- Jewish people who trust in Jesus}{ part of his people, as} a farmer grafts wild olive branches into{ a cultivated tree}.{ You} also{ share together in benefitting from being part of God‘s people, as} grafted branches share in the nutrition in the olive tree root. BSB BSB: Now if some branches have been broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others to share in the nourishment of the olive root,
18 ARST Therefore, you{ non- Jewish people who trust in Jesus} must not boast against the{ Jewish people whom God removed, even though they are like} broken off branches! If you do boast,{ you must realize that} you indeed do not sustain the Jewish people. Rather,{ they sustain} you, as the root sustains{ the branches}! BSB BSB: do not boast over those branches. If you do, remember this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.
19 ARST So then, you might say,“{ God removed some of the Jewish people from his people, as} a farmer breaks{ unfruitful} branches off{ of a tree}.{ God did this} in order that{ he could join} me{ to his people, as} a farmer grafts a branch into{ a tree}.” BSB BSB: You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.”
20 ARST { I would reply by saying that} what you said is correct.{ God removed} some of the Jewish people{ from being his people, as} a farmer breaks off{ unfruitful} branches because they were unfaithful. However, you{ non- Jewish people who trust in Jesus} remain{ part of God‘s people} by trusting{ in him}. Do not arrogantly think{ that you are better than unbelieving Jewish people}! Rather, fear{ God!} BSB BSB: That is correct: They were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid.
21 ARST { You should fear God} because he did not show pity to the{ faithless Jewish people, who are like} natural branches. So, he will not show pity to you{ non- Jewish people}{ if you stop trusting in Jesus}! BSB BSB: For if God did not spare the natural branches, He will certainly not spare you either.
22 ARST Since{ this is true}, pay attention to how kind and severe God can be! God acts severely toward those who stop trusting in him. However, God will act kindly toward you{ non- Jewish people who trust in Jesus} if you continue accepting how kind he is. But, if you do not{ do this},{ God will reject you, like} a farmer cuts an{ unfruitful} branch off of a tree! BSB BSB: Take notice, therefore, of the kindness and severity of God: severity to those who fell, but kindness to you, if you continue in His kindness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.
23 ARST However, if those faithless Jewish people believe{ in Jesus}, God will allow them to{ rejoin his people, just as} a farmer grafts{ branches} into{ a tree}.{ This is} because God is powerful enough to rejoin the Jewish people{ to his people}. BSB BSB: And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
24 ARST Indeed,{ God removed} you{ non- Jewish people who trust in Jesus from the nations and joined you to his people, as} a farmer cuts off a branch from a naturally wild olive tree and grafts it into a cultivated olive tree,{ even though doing so is} not natural. Since{ this is true},{ God} will certainly{ join Israelites back into his people, just as} a farmer grafts a naturally cultivated olive branch back into its own tree. BSB BSB: For if you were cut from a wild olive tree, and contrary to nature were grafted into one that is cultivated, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!
26 ARST Then, in the same way, God will save all{ of the people of} Israel. This is what{ Isaiah meant when} he wrote{ in the Scriptures},“God will send from Jerusalem someone to rescue{ his people}.{ That man} will make{ the descendants of} Jacob stop being ungodly.” BSB BSB: And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come from Zion; He will remove godlessness from Jacob.
27 ARST { God says,}“This is the agreement that I will make with the descendants of Jacob, when I forgive{ them for the} sinful things{ that they have done}.” BSB BSB: And this is My covenant with them when I take away their sins.”
29 ARST { This is true} because God does not revoke the things he graciously gives.{ He} also{ does not revoke}{ the people whom} he summons{ to be his people}. BSB BSB: For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable.
30 ARST Indeed,{ it is} just as you{ non- Jewish people who trust in Jesus} used to disobey God, but now God has been merciful to you because the Jewish people disobeyed{ him}. BSB BSB: Just as you who formerly disobeyed God have now received mercy through their disobedience,
31 ARST In the same way, the Jewish people also are now disobeying{ God} because God has been merciful to you{ non- Jewish people}.{ This happened} in order for God to now also be merciful to them. BSB BSB: so they too have now disobeyed, in order that they too may now receive mercy through the mercy shown to you.
32 ARST Indeed, God allowed everyone to disobey him in order to be merciful to them. BSB BSB: For God has consigned everyone to disobedience so that He may have mercy on everyone.
34 ARST Indeed,{ as Isaiah wrote,}“{ No one} could{ ever} comprehend what the Lord thinks or advise him!” BSB BSB: “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor?”
35 ARST Furthermore,“No one could{ ever} give God{ anything} that would cause God to owe him{ something}!” BSB BSB: “Who has first given to God, that God should repay him?”
36 ARST { No one can do these things}, because everything{ came} from God,{ exists} by God, and{ exists} for God.{ I pray that} everyone will glorify him forever. May this truly be so! BSB BSB: For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.