'I ask,1then,2has4God6rejected4his9people?8By no means!1011For13I myself14am16an Israelite,15a descendant of18Abraham,19a memberof the tribe20of Benjamin.21 God4has2not1rejected2his7people6whom8he foreknew.9Doyou12not11know12what15the17Scripture18says16of13Elijah,14how19he appeals20to God22against23Israel?25 “Lord,1they have killed5your4prophets,3they have demolished9your8altars,7and I10alone12am left,11and13they seek14my17life.”16 But1what2isGod’s reply6to him?4“I have kept7for myself8seven thousand9men10who11have13not12bowed13the knee14to Baal.”1516 So1too3at4the5present6time7there is12a remnant,8chosen10by9grace.11 But2if1it isby grace,3it isno longer4[on the basis] of5works;6otherwise7grace9would11no longer10be11grace.12 What1then?2Israel5[failed]7to obtain8what3it was seeking.4The9elect11obtained12it,but14the13rest15were hardened,16 as1it is written,2“God6gave3them4a spirit7of stupor,8eyes9that10wouldnot11see12and13ears14that15wouldnot16hear,17down to18this very20day.”21 And1David2says,3“Let4their7table6become4a snare9and10a trap,12a stumbling block15and16a retribution18for them;19 let1their4eyes3be darkened1so that5theycannot6see,7and8bend14their11backs10forever.”1213 So2I ask,1did they stumble4in order that5they might fall?6By no means!78Rather9throughtheir11trespass12salvation14has cometo the15Gentiles,16so as1718to make19[Israel]20jealous.19 Now2if1their5trespass4meansriches6for the world,7and8iftheir11failure10meansriches12for the Gentiles,13how much14more15willtheir18full inclusion17mean! Now2I am speaking3to you1Gentiles.5Inasmuch67then9asI11am10an apostle13to the Gentiles,12I magnify17my16ministry15 in order1somehow2to make3my4[fellow Jews]6jealous,3and7thussave8some9of10them.11 For2if1their5rejection4meansthe reconciliation6of the world,7what8will theiracceptance10meanbut1112life13from14the dead?15 If1the3dough offered asfirstfruits4isholy,5so6isthe7wholelump,8and9if10the11root12isholy,13so14arethe15branches.16 But2if1some3of the4branches5were broken off,6and8you,7although10a wild olive shoot,9were grafted in11among12[the others]13and14now share1522in the16nourishing19root17of the20olive tree,21 donot1be arrogant toward2the3branches.4If5you9[are],7remember it isnot8you9whosupport12the10root,11but13the14root15[that supports] you.16 Then2you will say,1“Branches4were broken off3so that5I6might be grafted in.”7 That is true.1They were broken off4[because of their] unbelief,3but6you5stand fast9through faith.8So donot10become proud,1112but13fear.14 For2if1God4did10not9spare10the5natural7branches,8neither13will he spare15you.14 Note1then2the kindness3and4the severity5of God:6severity11toward7those9who have fallen,10but13God’s16kindness15to12you,14provided17you continue18in hiskindness.20Otherwise21you23too22will be cut off.24 And2even they,1if3they5donot4continue5in [their] unbelief,7will be grafted in,8for10God13has11the power9to graft15them16in15again.14 For2if1you3were cut8from4what5isby6nature7a wild olive tree,9and10grafted,13contrary to11nature,12into14a cultivated olive tree,15how much16more17will22these,18the19natural [branches],2021be grafted back into22their own24olive tree.25 Lest1011you4be12wise15in13your own [sight],14I do3not1want3you4to be unaware of5this9mystery,8brothers:6a partial1819hardening17has come22upon Israel,21until23the25fullness26of the27Gentiles28has come in.29 And1in this way2all3Israel4will be saved,5as6it is written,7“The11Deliverer12will come8from9Zion,10he will banish13ungodliness14from15Jacob”;16 “and1this2will bemy6covenant7with5them3when8I take away9their12sins.”11 As regards1the3gospel,4they areenemies5for6your7sake.6But9as regards8election,11they arebeloved12for the sake13of theirforefathers.15 For2the3gifts4and5the6calling7of God9areirrevocable.1 For2just as1you3were5at one time4disobedient5to God7but9now8have received mercy10[because of]13their12disobedience,13 so1they3too2have5now4been disobedient5in order that9by the6mercy8[shown] to you7they11also10may13now12receive mercy.13 For2God4has consigned1all6to7disobedience,8that9he may have mercy12on all.11 Oh,1the depth2of the riches3and4wisdom5and6knowledge7of God!8How9unsearchable10arehis13judgments12and14howinscrutable15his18ways!17 “For2who1has known3the mind4of the Lord,5or6who7has been10his9counselor?”8 “Or1who2has given a gift3to him4that5he might be repaid?”6 For1from2him3and4through5him6and7to8him9areall things.1011To him12beglory14forever.1517Amen.18