Romans 10:19-12:21

English Standard Version

¹⁹But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says,

^(A)“I will ^(B)make you jealous of those who are not a nation;
with a ^(C)foolish nation I will make you angry.”

²⁰Then Isaiah is so bold as to say,

^(D)“I have been found by those who did not seek me;
I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.”

²¹But of Israel he says, ^(E)“All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”

The Remnant of Israel

11 I ask, then, ^(F)has God rejected his people? By no means! For ^(G)I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham,^[a] a member of the tribe of Benjamin. ²^(H)God has not rejected his people whom he ^(I)foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? ³^(J)“Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.” ⁴But what is God's reply to him? ^(K)“I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” ⁵So too at the present time there is ^(L)a remnant, chosen by grace. ⁶^(M)But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.

⁷What then? ^(N)Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest ^(O)were hardened, ⁸as it is written,

^(P)“God gave them a spirit of stupor,
^(Q)eyes that would not see
and ears that would not hear,
down to this very day.”

⁹And David says,

^(R)“Let their table become a snare and a trap,
a stumbling block and a retribution for them;
¹⁰let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see,
and bend their backs forever.”

Gentiles Grafted In

¹¹So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass ^(S)salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. ¹²Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion^[b] mean!

¹³Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as ^(T)I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry ¹⁴in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and ^(U)thus save some of them. ¹⁵For if their rejection means ^(V)the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? ¹⁶^(W)If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

¹⁷But if ^(X)some of the branches were broken off, and you, ^(Y)although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root^[c] of the olive tree, ¹⁸do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. ¹⁹Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” ²⁰That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you ^(Z)stand fast through faith. So ^(AA)do not become proud, but ^(AB)fear. ²¹For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. ²²Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, ^(AC)provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise ^(AD)you too will be cut off. ²³And ^(AE)even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. ²⁴For if you were 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, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.

The Mystery of Israel's Salvation

²⁵^(AF)Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers:^[d] ^(AG)a partial hardening has come upon Israel, ^(AH)until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. ²⁶And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,

^(AI)“The Deliverer will come ^(AJ)from Zion,
he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;
²⁷“and this will be my ^(AK)covenant with them
^(AL)when I take away their sins.”

²⁸As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are ^(AM)beloved for the sake of their forefathers. ²⁹For the gifts and ^(AN)the calling of God are irrevocable. ³⁰For just as ^(AO)you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, ³¹so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now^[e] receive mercy. ³²For God ^(AP)has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.

³³Oh, the depth of the riches and ^(AQ)wisdom and knowledge of God! ^(AR)How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

³⁴“For ^(AS)who has known the mind of the Lord,
or ^(AT)who has been his counselor?”
³⁵“Or ^(AU)who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?”

³⁶For ^(AV)from him and through him and to him are all things. ^(AW)To him be glory forever. Amen.

A Living Sacrifice

12 ^(AX)I appeal to you therefore, brothers,^[f] by the mercies of God, ^(AY)to present your bodies ^(AZ)as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.^[g] ²^(BA)Do not be conformed to this world,^[h] but be transformed by ^(BB)the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may ^(BC)discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.^[i]

Gifts of Grace

³For ^(BD)by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you ^(BE)not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, ^(BF)each according to ^(BG)the measure of faith that God has assigned. ⁴For ^(BH)as in one body we have many members,^[j] and the members do not all have the same function, ⁵so we, ^(BI)though many, ^(BJ)are one body in Christ, and individually ^(BK)members one of another. ⁶^(BL)Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if ^(BM)prophecy, ^(BN)in proportion to our faith; ⁷if ^(BO)service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; ⁸the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; ^(BP)the one who leads,^[k] with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with ^(BQ)cheerfulness.

Marks of the True Christian

⁹^(BR)Let love be genuine. ^(BS)Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. ¹⁰^(BT)Love one another with brotherly affection. ^(BU)Outdo one another in showing honor. ¹¹Do not be slothful in zeal, ^(BV)be fervent in spirit,^[l] ^(BW)serve the Lord. ¹²^(BX)Rejoice in hope, ^(BY)be patient in tribulation, ^(BZ)be constant in prayer. ¹³^(CA)Contribute to the needs of the saints and ^(CB)seek to show hospitality.

¹⁴^(CC)Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. ¹⁵^(CD)Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. ¹⁶^(CE)Live in harmony with one another. ^(CF)Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.^[m] ^(CG)Never be wise in your own sight. ¹⁷^(CH)Repay no one evil for evil, but ^(CI)give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. ¹⁸If possible, so far as it depends on you, ^(CJ)live peaceably with all. ¹⁹Beloved, ^(CK)never avenge yourselves, but leave it^[n] to the wrath of God, for it is written, ^(CL)“Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” ²⁰To the contrary, ^(CM)“if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” ²¹Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.