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.

I ask then: Has God totally rejected and disowned His people? Of course not! Why, I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin!

2 G od 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,

No, God has not rejected and disowned His people He had marked out and appointed and foreknown from the beginning. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel?

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

Lord, they have killed Your prophets; they have demolished Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.

4 B ut 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.

But what is God’s reply to him? I have kept for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal!

5 E ven so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

So too at the present time there is a remnant (a small believing minority), selected (chosen) by grace (by God’s unmerited favor and graciousness).

6 A nd if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

But if it is by grace (His unmerited favor and graciousness), it is no longer conditioned on works or anything men have done. Otherwise, grace would no longer be grace.

7 W hat then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.

What then ? Israel failed to obtain what it sought. Only the elect (those chosen few) obtained it, while the rest of them became callously indifferent (blinded, hardened, and made insensible to it).

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.

As it is written, God gave them a spirit (an attitude) of stupor, eyes that should not see and ears that should not hear, down to this very day.

9 A nd David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:

And David says, Let their table (their feasting, banqueting) become a snare and a trap, a pitfall and a just retribution '> rebounding like a boomerang upon them];

10 L et their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.

Let their eyes be darkened (dimmed) so that they cannot see, and make them bend their back forever.

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.

So I ask, Have they stumbled so as to fall ? By no means! But through their false step and transgression salvation to the Gentiles, so as to arouse Israel and so to make them jealous.

12 N ow 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?

Now if their stumbling (their lapse, their transgression) has so enriched the world, and if failure means such riches for the Gentiles, think what an enrichment and greater advantage will follow their full reinstatement!

13 F or I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:

But now I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I lay great stress on my ministry and magnify my office,

14 I f by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.

In the hope of making my fellow Jews jealous, and thus managing to save some of them.

15 F or if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?

For if their rejection and exclusion from the benefits of salvation were for the reconciliation of a world to God, what will their acceptance and admission mean? life from the dead!

16 F or if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.

Now if the first handful of dough offered as the firstfruits is consecrated (holy), so is the whole mass; and if the root is consecrated (holy), so are the branches.

17 A nd if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;

But if some of the branches were broken off, while you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among them to share the richness of the olive tree,

18 B oast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.

Do not boast over the branches and pride yourself at their expense. If you do boast and feel superior, remember it is not you that support the root, but the root you.

19 T hou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.

You will say then, Branches were broken (pruned) off so that I might be grafted in!

20 W ell; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:

That is true. But they were broken (pruned) off because of their unbelief (their lack of real faith), and you are established through faith. So do not become proud and conceited, but rather stand in awe and be reverently afraid.

21 F or if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.

For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you.

22 B ehold 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.

Then note and appreciate the gracious kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s gracious kindness to you—provided you continue in His grace and abide in His kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off (pruned away).

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

And even those others, if they do not persist in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again.

24 F or if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

For if you have been cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and against nature grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much easier will it be to graft these natural back on their own olive tree.

25 F or 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.

Lest you be self-opinionated (wise in your own conceits), I do not want you to miss this hidden truth and mystery, brethren: a hardening (insensibility) has befallen a part of Israel until the full number of the ingathering of the Gentiles has come in,

26 A nd 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:

And so all Israel will be saved. As it is written, The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will banish ungodliness from Jacob.

27 F or this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

And this will be My covenant (My agreement) with them when I shall take away their sins.

28 A s concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father's sakes.

From the point of view of the Gospel (good news), they are enemies, which is for your advantage and benefit. But from the point of view of God’s choice (of election, of divine selection), they are still the beloved (dear to Him) for the sake of their forefathers.

29 F or the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable.

30 F or as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:

Just as you were once disobedient and rebellious toward God but now have obtained mercy, through their disobedience,

31 E ven so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

So they also now are being disobedient, that they in turn may one day, through the mercy you are enjoying, also receive mercy.

32 F or God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

For God has consigned (penned up) all men to disobedience, only that He may have mercy on them all.

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!

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unfathomable (inscrutable, unsearchable) are His judgments (His decisions)! And how untraceable (mysterious, undiscoverable) are His ways (His methods, His paths)!

34 F or who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

For who has known the mind of the Lord and who has understood His thoughts, or who has been His counselor?

35 O r who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?

Or who has first given God anything that he might be paid back or that he could claim a recompense?

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

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever! Amen (so be it).