11 Therefore I’m asking: Did God push his chosen people away? May it never be, because I also am an Israeli, a descendant of Abraham in the tribe of Benyamin.[ref] 2 No, God didn’t push away his people that he knew before he chose them. Or don’t you know what Eliyah wrote when he pleaded with God to deal with Israel:[ref] 3 ‘Master, they killed your prophets and tore down your altars, and I was left alone and now they want to kill me!’ 4 But what was the revelation that was given to him:[ref] ‘I’ve kept aside seven thousand others who haven’t worshipped Baal.’ 5 So too also at the present time, there’s a small proportion who’ve been chosen by God’s grace. 6 So if it’s by grace, then it’s no longer by their actions, otherwise the grace wouldn’t be grace at all.

7 What’s the conclusion then? The Israelis didn’t find what they were looking for. Only the chosen ones reaching it and the rest were hardened 8 just like is was written:[ref]

‘God gave them a lethargic spirit:

Eyes which can’t see and ears which can’t hear,

even to this very day.’

9 And as David wrote:[ref]

‘Let their table become a trap for them—

a temptation that will pay them back.

10 Let their eyes be darkened so they can’t see,

and their backs be bent through all time.’

11 So now I ask: didn’t they stumble so that they would fall? May it never be. But because of their disobedience, salvation came to non-Jews in order to make Jews envious. 12 But if their disobedience led to gain for the rest of the world and if their loss led to gain for the non-Jews, how much more their fullness?