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A Remnant of Israel Remains

¹ Therefore I say, God has not rejected his people, has he?^[a] May it never be! For I also am an Israelite, from the descendants of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. ² God has not rejected his people, whom he foreknew! Or do you not know, in the passage about^[b] Elijah, what the scripture says—how he appeals to God against Israel? ³ "Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have torn down your altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life!"^{[c] 4} But what does the divine response say to him? "I have left for myself seven thousand people^[d] who have not bent the knee to Baal."^{[e] 5} So in this way also at the present time, there is a remnant selected by grace^[f]. ⁶ But if by grace, it is no longer by works, for otherwise grace would no longer be grace.

⁷ What then? What Israel was searching for, this it did not obtain. But the elect obtained it, and the rest were hardened, ⁸ just as it is written,

⁹ And David says,

¹¹ I say then, they did not stumble so that they fell, did they?^[j] May it never be! But by their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles, in order to provoke them to jealousy.^{[k] 12} And if their trespass means riches for the world and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fullness mean?

Gentile Branches Grafted in

¹³ Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Therefore, inasmuch as I am apostle to the Gentiles, I promote my ministry, ¹⁴ if somehow I may provoke my people to jealousy and save some of them. ¹⁵ For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean except life from the dead? ¹⁶ Now if the first fruits are holy, so also is the whole batch of dough, and if the root is holy, so also are the branches.

¹⁷ Now if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although you^[l] were a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them and became a sharer of the root of the olive tree's richness, ¹⁸ do not boast against the branches. But if you boast against them, you do not support the root, but the root supports you. ¹⁹ Then you will say, "Branches were broken off in order that I could be grafted in." ²⁰ Well said! They were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand firm because of faith. Do not think arrogant thoughts, but be afraid. ²¹ For if God did not spare the natural^[m] branches, neither will he spare you.^{[n] 22} See, then, the kindness and severity of God: severity upon those who have fallen, but upon you the kindness of God—if you continue in his kindness, for otherwise you also will be cut off. ²³ And those also, if they do not persist in unbelief, will be grafted in, because God is able to graft them in again. ²⁴ For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are natural branches^[o] be grafted into their own olive tree?

All Israel to be Saved

²⁵ For I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of this mystery, so that you will not be wise in your own sight,^[p] that a partial hardening has happened to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, ²⁶ and so all Israel will be saved, just as it is written,

²⁸ With respect to the gospel, they are enemies for your sake, but with respect to election, they are dearly loved for the sake of the fathers. ²⁹ For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. ³⁰ For just as you formerly were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of the disobedience of these, ³¹ so also these have now been disobedient for your mercy, in order that they also may now be shown mercy. ³² For God confined them all in disobedience, in order that he could have mercy on them all.