Romans 10-11

English Standard Version

10 Brothers,^[a] my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. ² For I bear them witness that ^(A)they have a zeal for God, ^(B)but not according to knowledge. ³ For, being ignorant of ^(C)the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. ⁴ For ^(D)Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.^[b]

The Message of Salvation to All

⁵ For ^(E)Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that ^(F)the person who does the commandments shall live by them. ⁶ But ^(G)the righteousness based on faith says, ^(H)“Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) ⁷ “or ‘Who will descend into the ^(I)abyss?’” (that is, ^(J)to bring Christ up from the dead). ⁸ But what does it say? ^(K)“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); ⁹ because, if ^(L)you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and ^(M)believe in your heart ^(N)that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. ¹¹ For the Scripture says, ^(O)“Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” ^12 (P)For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; ^(Q)for the same Lord is Lord of all, ^(R)bestowing his riches on all who call on him. ¹³ For ^(S)“everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

¹⁴ How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him ^(T)of whom they have never heard?^[c] And how are they to hear ^(U)without someone preaching? ¹⁵ And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ^(V)“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” ¹⁶ But ^(W)they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, ^(X)“Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” ¹⁷ So ^(Y)faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

¹⁸ But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for

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

²⁰ Then Isaiah is so bold as to say,

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

The Remnant of Israel

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

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

⁹ And David says,

Gentiles Grafted In

¹¹ So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass ^(AT)salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. 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^[e] mean!

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

¹⁷ But if ^(AY)some of the branches were broken off, and you, ^(AZ)although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root^[f] of the olive tree, ¹⁸ do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. ¹⁹ Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” ²⁰ That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you ^(BA)stand fast through faith. So ^(BB)do not become proud, but ^(BC)fear. ²¹ For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. ²² Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, ^(BD)provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise ^(BE)you too will be cut off. ²³ And ^(BF)even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. ²⁴ For 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 (BG)Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers:^{[g] (BH)}a partial hardening has come upon Israel, ^(BI)until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. ²⁶ And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,

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

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

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