^{1 Ref} I say, then, Did God cast away His people? let it not be! for I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin:

^{2 Ref} God did not cast away His people whom He knew before; have ye not known -- in Elijah -- what the Writing saith? how he doth plead with God concerning Israel, saying,

^{3 Ref} `Lord, Thy prophets they did kill, and Thy altars they dug down, and I was left alone, and they seek my life;'

^{4 Ref} but what saith the divine answer to him? `I left to Myself seven thousand men, who did not bow a knee to Baal.'

^{5 Ref} So then also in the present time a remnant according to the choice of grace there hath been;

^{6 Ref} and if by grace, no more of works, otherwise the grace becometh no more grace; and if of works, it is no more grace, otherwise the work is no more work.

^{7 Ref} What then? What Israel doth seek after, this it did not obtain, and the chosen did obtain, and the rest were hardened,

^{8 Ref} according as it hath been written, `God gave to them a spirit of deep sleep, eyes not to see, and ears not to hear,' -- unto this very day,

^{9 Ref} and David saith, `Let their table become for a snare, and for a trap, and for a stumbling-block, and for a recompense to them;

^{10 Ref} let their eyes be darkened -- not to behold, and their back do Thou always bow down.'

^{11 Ref} I say, then, Did they stumble that they might fall? let it not be! but by their fall the salvation `is' to the nations, to arouse them to jealousy;

^{12 Ref} and if the fall of them `is' the riches of a world, and the diminution of them the riches of nations, how much more the fulness of them?

^{13 Ref} For to you I speak -- to the nations -- inasmuch as I am indeed an apostle of nations, my ministration I do glorify;

^{14 Ref} if by any means I shall arouse to jealousy mine own flesh, and shall save some of them,

^{15 Ref} for if the casting away of them `is' a reconciliation of the world, what the reception -- if not life out of the dead?

^{16 Ref} and if the first-fruit `is' holy, the lump also; and if the root `is' holy, the branches also.

^{17 Ref} And if certain of the branches were broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wast graffed in among them, and a fellow-partaker of the root and of the fatness of the olive tree didst become --

^{18 Ref} do not boast against the branches; and if thou dost boast, thou dost not bear the root, but the root thee!

^{19 Ref} Thou wilt say, then, `The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in;' right!

^{20 Ref} by unbelief they were broken off, and thou hast stood by faith; be not high-minded, but be fearing;

^{21 Ref} for if God the natural branches did not spare -- lest perhaps He also shall not spare thee.

^{22 Ref} Lo, then, goodness and severity of God -- upon those indeed who fell, severity; and upon thee, goodness, if thou mayest remain in the goodness, otherwise, thou also shalt be cut off.

^{23 Ref} And those also, if they may not remain in unbelief, shall be graffed in, for God is able again to graff them in;

^{24 Ref} for if thou, out of the olive tree, wild by nature, wast cut out, and, contrary to nature, wast graffed into a good olive tree, how much rather shall they, who `are' according to nature, be graffed into their own olive tree?

^{25 Ref} For I do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, of this secret -- that ye may not be wise in your own conceits -- that hardness in part to Israel hath happened till the fulness of the nations may come in;

^{26 Ref} and so all Israel shall be saved, according as it hath been written, `There shall come forth out of Sion he who is delivering, and he shall turn away impiety from Jacob,

^{27 Ref} and this to them `is' the covenant from Me, when I may take away their sins.'

^{28 Ref} As regards, indeed, the good tidings, `they are' enemies on your account; and as regards the choice -- beloved on account of the fathers;

^{29 Ref} for unrepented of `are' the gifts and the calling of God;

^{30 Ref} for as ye also once did not believe in God, and now did find kindness by the unbelief of these:

^{31 Ref} so also these now did not believe, that in your kindness they also may find kindness;

^{32 Ref} for God did shut up together the whole to unbelief, that to the whole He might do kindness.

^{33 Ref} O depth of riches, and wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable His judgments, and untraceable His ways!

^{34 Ref} for who did know the mind of the Lord? or who did become His counsellor?

^{35 Ref} or who did first give to Him, and it shall be given back to him again?

^{36 Ref} because of Him, and through Him, and to Him `are' the all things; to Him `is' the glory -- to the ages. Amen.