OET-RV ROM Chapter 11

11 Therefore I’m asking: Did God push his chosen people away? Not at all, because I’m an Israeli, too, a descendant of Avraham in the tribe of Benyamin.[ref] 2 No, God didn’t push away his people, who he knew before he chose them. Or don’t you know what scripture says about Eliyah (Elijah) pleading with God to deal with Yisrael (Israel)? He said: 3 ‘Yahweh, they killed your prophets and tore down your altars, and I was left alone, and now they want to kill me!’[ref] 4 But what was revealed to him? God said: ‘I’ve kept aside seven thousand others who haven’t worshipped Ba’al.’[ref] 5 So too, at the present time, there’s a small proportion who’ve been chosen by God’s generosity. 6 So if it’s by generosity, then it’s no longer by their actions, otherwise the generosity wouldn’t be generosity at all.

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

‘God gave them a lethargic spirit:

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

even to this very day.’[ref]

9 And as David wrote:

‘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.’[ref]

11 So now I ask: didn’t they stumble so that they would fall? Not at all. But because of their disobedience, salvation came to non-Jews in order to make Yehudim (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?

13 But now I’m speaking to you non-Jews. Since I am indeed an ambassador to the non-Jews, I take pride in my service, 14 hoping that somehow I might make my fellow Yehudim (Jews) envious and might save some of them. 15 After all, if their rejection of the messiah meant that the rest of the world would be reconciled, what else could their acceptance bring other than coming back to life from the dead?

16 If the first portion of dough is holy, so is the lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you non-Jews, who are like a wild olive tree, were grafted into them, and so you too were able to share in the olive tree’s growth, which came from the root, 18 then don’t brag that you’re better than the branches. If you must boast, remember that you’re not supporting the root, but the root is supporting you.

19 Ah, but then you’ll say, ‘Branches were broken off so that we could be grafted in.’ 20 Well you’re right. They were broken off because of their disbelief, and it’s true that you’re there because of your faith. But don’t get a big head—maintain your reverence for God, 21 because if he didn’t spare the natural branches when they showed disbelief, then he won’t spare you either. 22 So you can see both God’s kindness and his severity—those who disobeyed experienced his severity, but you experienced his kindness. Otherwise you’ll be pruned off, too, 23 and also, if they turn away from their disbelief, they’ll be grafted back in, because God has the power to do that. 24 If you were cut off an olive tree that’s wild by nature, and contrary to normal practice were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more easily would those who naturally belong be grafted into their own olive tree!

25 Brothers and sisters, I don’t want you to be ignorant of this mystery, otherwise you might end up becoming proud: There’s a partial hardening coming to the Yehudim (Jews) until the fullness of the non-Jews comes, 26 and then all the Yehudim will be saved, as it’s been written:

‘The rescuer will be coming out of Tsiyon (Zion).

He will drive ungodliness away from Ya’akov (Jacob).

27 And this is my agreement with them,[ref]

whenever I might take away their sins.’[ref]

28 Concerning the good message, the Yehudim are enemies for your sake, but concerning being chosen, they’re loved because of their ancestors, 29 because God’s gifts and his invitation are irrevocable. 30 You non-Jews didn’t originally believe in God, but now you’ve been shown mercy because of the disbelief of these Yehudim. 31 Those Yehudim disbelieved so that as you receive mercy, they can also now be shown mercy, 32 because God imprisoned them all in disbelief so that he could show mercy to everyone.

33 Yes, God’s wisdom and knowledge are both so richly deep. His judgements can’t be understood and his paths can’t be mapped,[ref] 34 because:

‘Who can know Yahweh’s mind

or become his counsellor?’[ref]

35 ‘Who has been able to give him something,

so that God now needs to repay them?’[ref]

36 Yes, because everything comes from God, and everything comes through him and to him.[ref] May he be honoured throughout the ages. May it be so.