1I SAY then, can it be that God has repudiated his people? Never. For I am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2God has not repudiated his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says in the story of Elijah, how he prays to God against Israel? 3"Lord, they have killed thy prophets: they have demolished thy altars, and I only am left and they are seeking my life." 4But what was the divine response? "I have left to myself seven thousand men who have not knelt to Baal." 5So at this present time there is a remnant according to a gracious selection. 6But if it is by grace it is no longer because of works, for then grace would be no longer grace. 7What then? Israel has not found what it is seeking, but the chosen have found it. And the rest have been made dull, 8as it is written, "God gave them a stupid spirit, eyes not for seeing and ears not for hearing until this day." 9And David says, "Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution. 10Let their eyes be darkened so as not to see, and bow down their backs always." 11I say, then, have they stumbled just in order that they may fall? Never. But by their fall salvation comes to the Gentiles so as to arouse the emulation of the Jews. 12If their fall is the riches of the world and their loss the riches of the Gentiles, how much more will their full restoration be! 13But I say to you Gentiles \'97 since I am an apostle to Gentiles I glory in my office, 14if in any way I may arouse to emulation my own kindred and save some of them \'97 15if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their welcome back be but life from the dead? 16If the first fruit was holy, so will the mass be; and if the root was holy, so will be the branches. 17If some of the branches were broken off and you, who are a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became a sharer in the root and rich sap of the olive, 18do not exult over the branches. Even though you exult, it is not you who are supporting the root, but the root is supporting you. 19You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in." 20Certainly, for lack of faith they were broken off, and you are standing by faith. Do not be proud, but be afraid. 21For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 22See the kindness and the rigor of God, toward those who fell rigor, but toward you God's kindness, if you continue in his kindness, else you too will be cut off. 23And they if they do not continue in their unbelief will be grafted in. 24For God is able to graft them back. For if you were cut from your natural stock, a wild olive tree, and were grafted, contrary to nature, into a good olive tree, how much more will the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree! 25I would not have you ignorant, brethren, of this mystery, that you may not be self-conceited, because stupidity in a measure has come upon Israel until the full number of Gentiles comes in, 26and thus all Israel will be saved, as it is written, "From Zion will come the deliverer. He will remove ungodliness from Jacob. 27And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins." 28According to the good news they are enemies for your sake, but according to the promise they are beloved for their fathers' sake. 29God never changes his mind about his gifts and his call. 30For as you were once disobedient to God, but now have found mercy through their disobedience, 31so they have now been disobedient in your time of mercy, that they too may now obtain mercy. 32For God has shut up all in unbelief in order that he may have mercy on all. 33O the depth of the wealth both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, how untraceable his ways! 34For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who became his counsellor? 35Who first gave to him so as to receive repayment? 36For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory through the ages! Amen.