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¹ You will say then, hath God discarded his people? by no means. for I my self am an Israelite, of the posterity of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. ² God hath not discarded his people whom he formerly approv'd. don't you know what the scripture says of Elias? how he complain'd to God against Israel, ³ in these words, "Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I alone am left, and they seek my life also." ⁴ but what said the oracle to him? "I have reserved to my self seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal." ⁵ in like manner at this time there is also a remnant chosen by the divine favour; ⁶ and if it be by favour, it is not upon the account of merit. for then mercy would not be mercy. ⁷ "What then, hath not Israel obtained what he sought for?" no, but the chosen remnant have obtained it, and the rest are obdurate to this day, ⁸ as it is written , "God hath given them up to a state of insensibility, so that their eyes could not see, and their ears could not hear." ⁹ and David says , "let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a gin, and a recompence for their iniquity. ¹⁰ let their eyes be darkned, so as not to see, and let their back be continually bowed down." ¹¹ You will say then, "were they suffer'd to stumble meerly for their ruin?" no: but that thro' their fall, salvation might be offer'd to the Gentiles, in order to provoke their emulation. ¹² now if their fall be to the advancement of the world, and the few converts among them bring in whole numbers of the Gentiles: how much more so will it be, when the Jewish body recover? ¹³ this concerns you Gentiles. for as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I should do honour to my character, ¹⁴ if I could by any means excite the emulation of my dear countrymen, in order to save some. ¹⁵ for, if by rejecting them, the world may be reconciled; what shall their restoration be, but a general resurrection? ¹⁶ Now if the first-fruits be holy, so is the whole product: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. ¹⁷ if then, some of the branches are broken off, and thou like a wild olive, were grafted in their place to partake of the root and sap of the olivestock; ¹⁸ don't triumph over the branches: or if you do, remember the root is not dependent upon you, but you upon the root. ¹⁹ you will say then, "the branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in." ²⁰ well, be it so, for their incredulity they were broken off, and you by faith stand firm: be not then elated, but let this be your fear, ²¹ lest God should not spare you, since he did not spare even the natural branches. ²² consider then the divine benignity, and his severity: his severity to those who fell, and his benignity to you, provided you adhere thereto; otherwise you likewise will be lopt off. ²³ nay, even the Jews, if they don't continue still incredulous, shall be grafted in: since divine power can graft them in again. ²⁴ for if you were taken from the wild olive, which was natural to you, to be grafted into a good olive-stock of a different nature, with how much greater reason shall these who are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive-tree? ²⁵ I would not, brethren, have you ignorant of this secret, (for fear you should presume too much on your selves) that blindness has fallen upon a part of Israel, until the time when the Gentiles shall be fully come in. ²⁶ and then all Israel shall be saved: as it is written , "there shall come out of Sion the deliverer, and shall turn away Jacob from his impiety. ²⁷ for this is my covenant with them, that I shall take away their sins." ²⁸ Though they are violently prejudiced against the gospel upon your account: yet they are objects of favour upon the account of their having been chosen out of respect to your fore-fathers. ²⁹ for the divine gifts and vocation are irrevocable. ³⁰ as you in times past did not obey God, yet have now obtained mercy upon the occasion of their disobedience: ³¹ so the Jews are at present incredulous, by reason of the mercy shown to you; so that they themselves are now to be pitied. ³² for God hath manifested to all the disobedient, that he would have mercy upon all.

³³ O the depth of the divine goodness, wisdom, and contrivance! how impenetrable are his decrees, and his ways past finding out! ³⁴ for who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been his counsellor? ³⁵ who hath given any thing to him, and he will repay it? ³⁶ for of him, and through him, and in him are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.