The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans

⭑ Douay-Rheims :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 11 -

I say then: Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

God hath not cast away his people, which he foreknew. Know you not what the scripture saith of Elias; how he calleth on God against Israel?

Lord, they have slain thy prophets, they have dug down thy altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.

But what saith the divine answer to him? I have left me seven thousand men, that have not bowed their knees to Baal.

Even so then at this present time also, there is a remnant saved according to the election of grace.

And if by grace, it is not now by works: otherwise grace is no more grace.

What then? That which Israel sought, he hath not obtained: but the election hath obtained it; and the rest have been blinded.

As it is written: God hath given them the spirit of insensibility; eyes that they should not see; and ears that they should not hear, until this present day.

And David saith: Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumbling block, and a recompense unto them.

Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see: and bow down their back always.

The Ingrafting of the Gentiles

I say then, have they so stumbled, that they should fall? God forbid. But by their offence, salvation is come to the Gentiles, that they may be emulous of them.

Now if the offence of them be the riches of the world, and the diminution of them, the riches of the Gentiles; how much more the fulness of them?

For I say to you, Gentiles: as long indeed as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I will honour my ministry,

If, by any means, I may provoke to emulation them who are my flesh, and may save some of them.

For if the loss of them be the reconciliation of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?

For if the firstfruit be holy, so is the lump also: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.

And if some of the branches be broken, and thou, being a wild olive, art ingrafted in them, and art made partaker of the root, and of the fatness of the olive tree,

Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.

Thou wilt say then: The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.

Well: because of unbelief they were broken off. But thou standest by faith: be not highminded, but fear.

For if God hath not spared the natural branches, fear lest perhaps he also spare not thee.

See then the goodness and the severity of God: towards them indeed that are fallen, the severity; but towards thee, the goodness of God, if thou abide in goodness, otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.

For if thou wert cut out of the wild olive tree, which is natural to thee; and, contrary to nature, were grafted into the good olive tree; how much more shall they that are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

All Israel Will Be Saved

For I would not have you ignorant, brethren, of this mystery, (lest you should be wise in your own conceits), that blindness in part has happened in Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles should come in.

And so all Israel should be saved, as it is written: There shall come out of Sion, he that shall deliver, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.

And this is to them my covenant: when I shall take away their sins.

As concerning the gospel, indeed, they are enemies for your sake: but as touching the election, they are most dear for the sake of the fathers.

For the gifts and the calling of God are without repentance.

For as you also in times past did not believe God, but now have obtained mercy, through their unbelief;

So these also now have not believed, for your mercy, that they also may obtain mercy.

For God hath concluded all in unbelief, that he may have mercy on all.

A Hymn of Praise

(Isaiah 40:9–31)

O the depth of the riches of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God! How incomprehensible are his judgments, and how unsearchable his ways!

For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or who hath been his counsellor?

Or who hath first given to him, and recompense shall be made him?

For of him, and by him, and in him, are all things: to him be glory for ever. Amen.

I ask then, did God reject his people? May it never be! For I also am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

God didn’t reject his people, whom he foreknew. Or don’t you know what the Scripture says about Elijah? How he pleads with God against Israel:

“Lord, they have killed your prophets. They have broken down your altars. I am left alone, and they seek my life.”(a)

But how does God answer him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”(b)

Even so too at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.

What then? That which Israel seeks for, that he didn’t obtain, but the chosen ones obtained it, and the rest were hardened.

According as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, to this very day.” (c)

David says, “Let their table be made a snare, a trap, a stumbling block, and a retribution to them.

Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see. Always keep their backs bent.”(d)

The Ingrafting of the Gentiles

I ask then, did they stumble that they might fall? May it never be! But by their fall salvation has come to the Gentiles, to provoke them to jealousy.

Now if their fall is the riches of the world, and their loss the riches of the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!

For I speak to you who are Gentiles. Since then as I am an apostle to Gentiles, I glorify my ministry,

if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh, and may save some of them.

For if the rejection of them is the reconciling of the world, what would their acceptance be, but life from the dead?

If the first fruit is holy, so is the lump. If the root is holy, so are the branches.

But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the root and of the richness of the olive tree,

don’t boast over the branches. But if you boast, remember that it is not you who support the root, but the root supports you.

You will say then, “Branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.”

True; by their unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by your faith. Don’t be conceited, but fear;

for if God didn’t spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.

See then the goodness and severity of God. Toward those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in his goodness; otherwise you also will be cut off.

They also, if they don’t continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.

For if you were cut out of that which is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree, how much more will these, which are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

All Israel Will Be Saved

For I don’t desire you to be ignorant, brothers,(e) of this mystery, so that you won’t be wise in your own conceits, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in,

and so all Israel will be saved. Even as it is written, “There will come out of Zion the Deliverer, and he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob.

This is my covenant with them, when I will take away their sins.”(f)

Concerning the Good News, they are enemies for your sake. But concerning the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sake.

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

For as you in time past were disobedient to God, but now have obtained mercy by their disobedience,

even so these also have now been disobedient, that by the mercy shown to you they may also obtain mercy.

For God has bound all to disobedience, that he might have mercy on all.

A Hymn of Praise

(Isaiah 40:9–31)

Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out!

“For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?”(g)

“Or who has first given to him, and it will be repaid to him again?”(h)

For of him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory for ever! Amen.

Footnotes

(a)11:3 ℘ 1Kings 19:10,14

(b)11:4 ℘ 1Kings 19:18

(d)11:10 ℘ Psalms 69:22,23

(e)11:25 The word for “brothers” here and where context allows may also be correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.”

(f)11:27 ℘ Isaiah 59:20-21; 27:9; Jeremiah 31:33-34

(g)11:34 ℘ Isaiah 40:13

(h)11:35 ℘ Job 41:11