Romans 11

NEW JERUSALEM	Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
1 What I am saying is this: is it possible that God abandoned his people? Out of the question! I too aman Israelite, descended from Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.	1 I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin.
2 God never abandoned his own people to whom, ages ago, he had given recognition. Do you notremember what scripture says about Elijah and how he made a complaint to God against Israel:	2 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel?
3 Lord, they have put your prophets to the sword, torn down your altars. I am the only one left, and now they want to kil me?	3 "Lord, they have killed thy prophets, they have demolished thy altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life."
4 And what was the prophetic answer given? I have spared for myself seven thousand men that havenot bent the knee to Baal.	4 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 In the same way, then, in our own time, there is a remnant, set aside by grace.	5 So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace.
6 And since it is by grace, it cannot now be by good actions, or grace would not be grace at al !	6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.
7 What fol ows? Israel failed to find what it was seeking; only those who were chosen found it and therest had their minds hardened;	7 What then? Israel failed to obtain what it sought. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened,
8 just as it says in scripture: God has infused them with a spirit of lethargy; until today they have noteyes to see or ears to hear.	8 as it is written, "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that should not see and ears that should not hear, down to this very day."
9 David too says: May their own table prove a trap for them, a pitfal and a snare; let that be theirretribution.	9 And David says, "Let their table become a snare and a trap, a pitfall and a retribution for them;
10 May their eyes grow so dim they cannot see, and their backs be bent for ever.	10 let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs for ever."
11 What I am saying is this: Was this stumbling to lead to their final downfall? Out of the question! Onthe contrary, their failure has brought salvation for the gentiles, in order to stir them to envy.	11 So I ask, have they stumbled so as to fall? By no means! But through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous.
12 And if their fal has proved a great gain to the world, and their loss has proved a great gain to thegentiles -- how much greater a gain wil come when all is restored to them!	12 Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!
13 Let me say then to you gentiles that, as far as I am an apostle to the gentiles, I take pride in thiswork of service;	13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry
14 and I want it to be the means of rousing to envy the people who are my own blood-relations and soof saving some of them.	14 in order to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them.
15 Since their rejection meant the reconciliation of the world, do you know what their re-acceptance willmean? Nothing less than life from the dead!	15 For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?
16 When the first-fruits are made holy, so is the whole batch; and if the root is holy, so are thebranches.	16 If the dough offered as first fruits is holy, so is the whole lump; and if the root is holy, so are the branches.
17 Now suppose that some branches were broken off, and you are wild olive, grafted among the rest toshare with the others the rich sap of the olive tree;	17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in their place to share the richness of the olive tree,
18 then it is not for you to consider yourself superior to the other branches; and if you start feelingproud, think: it is not you that sustain the root, but the root that sustains you.	18 do not boast over the branches. If you do boast, remember it is not you that support the root, but the root that supports you.
19 You wil say, 'Branches were broken off on purpose for me to be grafted in.' True;	19 You will say, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in."
20 they through their unbelief were broken off, and you are established through your faith. So it is notpride that you should have, but fear:	20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast only through faith. So do not become proud, but stand in awe.
21 if God did not spare the natural branches, he might not spare you either.	21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.
22 Remember God's severity as well as his goodness: his severity to those who fel , and his goodnessto you as long as you persevere in it; if not, you too will be cut off.	22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off.
23 And they, if they do not persevere in their unbelief, wil be grafted in; for it is within the power of Godto graft them back again.	23 And even the others, if they do not persist in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again.
24 After al , if you, cut off from what was by nature a wild olive, could then be grafted unnaturally on to acultivated olive, how much easier wil it be for them, the branches that natural y belong there, to be grafted on tothe olive tree which is their own.	24 For if you have been cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree.
25 I want you to be quite certain, brothers, of this mystery, to save you from congratulating yourselveson your own good sense: part of Israel had its mind hardened, but only until the gentiles have whol y come in;	25 Lest you be wise in your own conceits, I want you to understand this mystery, brethren: a hardening has come upon part of Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles come in,
26 and this is how all Israel will be saved. As scripture says: From Zion will come the Redeemer, he wilremove godlessness from Jacob.	26 and so all Israel will be saved; as it is written, "The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob";
27 And this wil be my covenant with them, when I take their sins away.	27 "and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins."
28 As regards the gospel, they are enemies, but for your sake; but as regards those who are God'schoice, they are stil wel loved for the sake of their ancestors.	28 As regards the gospel they are enemies of God, for your sake; but as regards election they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers.
29 There is no change of mind on God's part about the gifts he has made or of his choice.	29 For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.
30 Just as you were in the past disobedient to God but now you have been shown mercy, through theirdisobedience;	30 Just as you were once disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience,
31 so in the same way they are disobedient now, so that through the mercy shown to you they too wilreceive mercy.	31 so they have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may receive mercy.
32 God has imprisoned al human beings in their own disobedience only to show mercy to them al .	32 For God has consigned all men to disobedience, that he may have mercy upon all.
33 How rich and deep are the wisdom and the knowledge of God! We cannot reach to the root of hisdecisions or his ways.	33 O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
34 Who has ever known the mind of the Lord? Who has ever been his adviser?	34 "For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?"
35 Who has given anything to him, so that his presents come only as a debt returned?	35 "Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?"
36 Everything there is comes from him and is caused by him and exists for him. To him be glory forever! Amen.	36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory for ever. Amen.