1 I say then, Has God cast away his people? Far be the thought. For I also am an Israelite, of seed of Abraham, of tribe of Benjamin.

I ask then, “Has God put His people, the Jews, aside?” No, not at all! I myself am a Jew. Abraham was my early father. I am from the family group of Benjamin.

2 G od has not cast away his people whom he foreknew. Know ye not what the scripture says in Elias, how he pleads with God against Israel?

God has not put His people aside. He chose them from the beginning. Do you know what the Holy Writings say about Elijah? Do you know what Elijah said to God against the Jews?

3 L ord, they have killed thy prophets, they have dug down thine altars; and I have been left alone, and they seek my life.

He said, “Lord, they have killed Your early preachers. They have destroyed the places where You are worshiped. I am the only one left. They are trying to kill me.”

4 B ut what says the divine answer to him? I have left to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed knee to Baal.

But what did God say to him? God said, “I still have 7, 000 men. None of them have worshiped the false god Baal.”

5 T hus, then, in the present time also there has been a remnant according to election of grace.

It is the same now. A few of the Jews are being chosen because of God’s loving-favor.

6 B ut if by grace, no longer of works: since grace is no more grace.

If they are saved from the punishment of sin because of God’s loving-favor, it is nothing men have done to earn it. If men had earned it, then His loving-favor would not be a free gift.

7 W hat then? What Israel seeks for, that he has not obtained; but the election has obtained, and the rest have been blinded,

This is the way it was. Many Jews did not get what they were looking for. Only those God chose received it. The hearts of the others were made hard. They could not understand it.

8 a ccording as it is written, God has given to them a spirit of slumber, eyes not to see, and ears not to hear, unto this day.

The Holy Writings say this about them, “God gave them hearts and minds that want to sleep. He gave them eyes that could not see. To this very day He gave them ears that could not hear.”

9 A nd David says, Let their table be for a snare, and for a gin, and for a fall-trap, and for a recompense to them:

David said, “Let their table of food become a trap to hold them. Let it be a hole into which they fall and will suffer.

10 l et their eyes be darkened not to see, and bow down their back alway.

Let their eyes be closed so they cannot see. Keep their backs from being straight always because of their troubles.”

11 I say then, Have they stumbled in order that they might fall? Far be the thought: but by their fall salvation to the nations to provoke them to jealousy.

I ask then, “Did the Jews fall so they would be lost forever?” No, not at all! It means the people who are not Jews are able to be saved from the punishment of sin because the Jews sinned by not putting their trust in Christ. This made the Jews jealous of those who are not Jews.

12 B ut if their fall world's wealth, and their loss wealth of nations, how much rather their fulness?

The world received good things from God because of the sin of the Jews. Because the Jews did not receive God’s free gift, the people who are not Jews received good things from Him. Think how much more the world will receive when the Jews finish God’s plan by putting their trust in Christ!

13 F or I speak to you, the nations, inasmuch as I am apostle of nations, I glorify my ministry;

I am speaking to you people who are not Jews. As long as I am a missionary to you, I want you to know how important my job is.

14 i f by any means I shall provoke to jealousy my flesh, and shall save some from among them.

I do this so it will make my own people, the Jews, jealous. Then it may be that some will be saved from the punishment of sin.

15 F or if their casting away world's reconciliation, what reception but life from among dead?

Because the Jews have been put aside, many other people in the world have been saved from the punishment of sin. Think what it will be like when they are also gathered in. It will be like the dead coming back to life!

16 N ow if the first-fruit holy, the lump also; and if the root holy, the branches also.

If the first loaf is holy, all the bread is holy. If the root is holy, all the branches are holy.

17 N ow if some of the branches have been broken out, and thou, being a wild olive tree, hast been grafted in amongst them, and hast become a fellow-partaker of the root and of the fatness of the olive tree,

But some of the branches (who are the Jews) were broken off. You who are not Jews were put in the place where the branches had been broken off. Now you are sharing the rich root of the olive tree.

18 b oast not against the branches; but if thou boast, not thou bearest the root, but the root thee.

Do not be proud. Do not think you are better than the branches that were broken off. If you are proud, remember that you do not hold the root. It is the root that holds you.

19 T hou wilt say then, The branches have been broken out in order that I might be grafted in.

You may say, “Branches were broken off to make room for me.”

20 R ight: they have been broken out through unbelief, and thou standest through faith. Be not high-minded, but fear:

It is true. They were broken off because they did not put their trust in Christ. And you are there only because of your faith. Do not be proud. Instead, be afraid.

21 i f God indeed has not spared the natural branches; lest it might be he spare not thee either.

God did not keep the first branches (who are the Jews) on the tree. Then watch, or He will not keep you on the tree.

22 B ehold then goodness and severity of God: upon them who have fallen, severity; upon thee goodness of God, if thou shalt abide in goodness, since thou also wilt be cut away.

We see how kind God is. It shows how hard He is also. He is hard on those who fall away. But He is kind to you if you keep on trusting Him. If you do not, He will cut you off.

23 A nd they too, if they abide not in unbelief, shall be grafted in; for God is able again to graft them in.

If the Jews would put their trust in Christ, God would put them back into the tree. He has power to do that.

24 F or if thou hast been cut out of the olive tree wild by nature, and, contrary to nature, hast been grafted into the good olive tree, how much rather shall they, who are according to nature be grafted into their own olive tree?

You people who are not Jews were cut off from a wild olive tree. Instead of being there, you were put into a garden olive tree which is not the right place for you to grow. It would be easy for God to put the Jews back onto their own olive tree because they are the branches that belong there.

25 F or I do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, of this mystery, that ye may not be wise in your own conceits, that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the nations be come in;

Christian brothers, I want you to understand this truth which is no longer a secret. It will keep you from thinking you are so wise. Some Jews have become hard until the right amount of people who are not Jews come to God.

26 a nd so all Israel shall be saved. According as it is written, The deliverer shall come out of Zion; he shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.

Then all the Jews will be saved, as the Holy Writings say, “The One Who saves from the punishment of sin will come out of Jerusalem. He will turn the Jews from doing sinful things.”

27 A nd this is the covenant from me to them, when I shall have taken away their sins.

“And this is My promise to them when I take away their sins.”

28 A s regards the glad tidings, enemies on your account; but as regards election, beloved on account of the fathers.

The Jews are fighting against the Good News. Because they hate the Good News, it has helped you who are not Jews. But God still loves the Jews because He has chosen them and because of His promise to their early fathers.

29 F or the gifts and the calling of God not subject to repentance.

God does not change His mind when He chooses men and gives them His gifts.

30 F or as indeed ye once have not believed in God, but now have been objects of mercy through the unbelief of these;

At one time you did not obey God. But when the Jews did not receive God’s gift, you did. It was because they did not obey.

31 s o these also have now not believed in your mercy, in order that they also may be objects of mercy.

The Jews will not obey now. God’s loving-kindness to you will some day turn them to Him. Then the Jews may have His loving-kindness also.

32 F or God hath shut up together all in unbelief, in order that he might shew mercy to all.

God has said that all men have broken His Law. But He will show loving-kindness on all of them.

33 O depth of riches both of wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable his judgments, and untraceable his ways!

God’s riches are so great! The things He knows and His wisdom are so deep! No one can understand His thoughts. No one can understand His ways.

34 F or who has known mind of Lord, or who has been his counsellor?

The Holy Writings say, “Who knows the mind of the Lord? Who is able to tell Him what to do?”

35 o r who has first given to him, and it shall be rendered to him?

“Who has given first to God, that God should pay him back?”

36 F or of him, and through him, and for him all things: to him be glory for ever. Amen.

Everything comes from Him. His power keeps all things together. All things are made for Him. May He be honored forever. Let it be so.