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I ask, then, 1has God rejected his people? By no means! For 2I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin.
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3God has not rejected his people whom he 4foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel?
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5"Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life."
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But what is God's reply to him? 6"I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal."
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So too at the present time there is 7a remnant, chosen by grace.
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8But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.
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What then? 9Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest 10were hardened,
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as it is written, 11"God gave them a spirit of stupor, 12eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day."
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And David says, 13"Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them;
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let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs forever."
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So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather through their trespass 14salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous.
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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 mean!
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Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as 15I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry
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in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and 16thus save some of them.
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For if their rejection means 17the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?
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18If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.
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But if 19some of the branches were broken off, and you, 20although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree,
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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.
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Then you will say, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in."
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That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you 21stand fast through faith. So 22do not become proud, but 23fear.
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For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.
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Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, 24provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise 25you too will be cut off.
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And 26even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again.
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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.
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27Lest you be wise in your own sight, I want you to understand this mystery, brothers:28a partial hardening has come upon Israel, 29until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
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And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, 30"The Deliverer will come 31from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob";
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"and this will be my 32covenant with them 33when I take away their sins."
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As regards the gospel, they are enemies of God for your sake. But as regards election, they are 34beloved for the sake of their forefathers.
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For the gifts and 35the calling of God are irrevocable.
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For just as 36you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience,
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so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy.
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For God 37has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.
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Oh, the depth of the riches and 38wisdom and knowledge of God! 39How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
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"For 40who has known the mind of the Lord, or 41who has been his counselor?"
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"Or 42who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?"
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For 43from him and through him and to him are all things. 44To him be glory forever. Amen.