God's Mercy on Israel
1 I ask, then: Did God reject his own people? Certainly not! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected his people, whom he chose from the beginning. You know what the scripture says in the passage where Elijah pleads with God against Israel: 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me.” 4 What answer did God give him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not worshiped the false god Baal.” 5 It is the same way now: there is a small number left of those whom God has chosen because of his grace. 6 His choice is based on his grace, not on what they have done. For if God's choice were based on what people do, then his grace would not be real grace.
7 What then? The people of Israel did not find what they were looking for. It was only the small group that God chose who found it; the rest grew deaf to God's call. 8 As the scripture says, “God made their minds and hearts dull; to this very day they cannot see or hear.” 9 And David says,
“May they be caught and trapped at their feasts;
may they fall, may they be punished!
10 May their eyes be blinded so that they cannot see;
and make them bend under their troubles at all times.”
11 I ask, then: When the Jews stumbled, did they fall to their ruin? By no means! Because they sinned, salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make the Jews jealous of them. 12 The sin of the Jews brought rich blessings to the world, and their spiritual poverty brought rich blessings to the Gentiles. Then, how much greater the blessings will be when the complete number of Jews is included!
The Salvation of the Gentiles
13 I am speaking now to you Gentiles: As long as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I will take pride in my work. 14 Perhaps I can make the people of my own race jealous, and so be able to save some of them. 15 For when they were rejected, all other people were changed from God's enemies into his friends. What will it be, then, when they are accepted? It will be life for the dead!
16 If the first piece of bread is given to God, then the whole loaf is his also; and if the roots of a tree are offered to God, the branches are his also. 17 Some of the branches of the cultivated olive tree have been broken off, and a branch of a wild olive tree has been joined to it. You Gentiles are like that wild olive tree, and now you share the strong spiritual life of the Jews. 18 So then, you must not despise those who were broken off like branches. How can you be proud? You are just a branch; you don't support the roots—the roots support you.
19 But you will say, “Yes, but the branches were broken off to make room for me.” 20 That is true. They were broken off because they did not believe, while you remain in place because you do believe. But do not be proud of it; instead, be afraid. 21 God did not spare the Jews, who are like natural branches; do you think he will spare you? 22 Here we see how kind and how severe God is. He is severe toward those who have fallen, but kind to you—if you continue in his kindness. But if you do not, you too will be broken off. 23 And if the Jews abandon their unbelief, they will be put back in the place where they were; for God is able to do that. 24 You Gentiles are like the branch of a wild olive tree that is broken off and then, contrary to nature, is joined to a cultivated olive tree. The Jews are like this cultivated tree; and it will be much easier for God to join these broken-off branches to their own tree again.
God's Mercy on All
25 There is a secret truth, my friends, which I want you to know, for it will keep you from thinking how wise you are. It is that the stubbornness of the people of Israel is not permanent, but will last only until the complete number of Gentiles comes to God. 26 And this is how all Israel will be saved. As the scripture says,
“The Savior will come from Zion
and remove all wickedness from the descendants of Jacob.
27 I will make this covenant with them
when I take away their sins.”
28 Because they reject the Good News, the Jews are God's enemies for the sake of you Gentiles. But because of God's choice, they are his friends because of their ancestors. 29 For God does not change his mind about whom he chooses and blesses. 30 As for you Gentiles, you disobeyed God in the past; but now you have received God's mercy because the Jews were disobedient. 31 In the same way, because of the mercy that you have received, the Jews now disobey God, in order that they also may now receive God's mercy. 32 For God has made all people prisoners of disobedience, so that he might show mercy to them all.
Praise to God
33 How great are God's riches! How deep are his wisdom and knowledge! Who can explain his decisions? Who can understand his ways? 34 As the scripture says,
“Who knows the mind of the Lord?
Who is able to give him advice?
35 Who has ever given him anything,
so that he had to pay it back?”
36 For all things were created by him, and all things exist through him and for him. To God be the glory forever! Amen.
Israēla atlikums pēc žēlastības
1 Tad nu es jautāju: vai Dievs savu tautu ir atstūmis? Nu, protams, ne! Jo arī es esmu israēlietis, Ābrahāma pēcnācējs, no Benjāmina cilts. 2 Dievs nav atstūmis savu tautu, ko viņš jau iepriekš izredzējis. Vai tad jūs nezināt, ko Raksti saka par Eliju, kā viņš žēlojas Dievam par Israēlu: 3 Kungs, tavus praviešus viņi ir nokāvuši, tavus altārus izpostījuši, un es esmu viens pats palicis, un tie meklē pēc manas dvēseles. 4 Bet kāda ir dievišķā atbilde viņam? – Es esmu sev paturējis septiņus tūkstošus vīru, kas savus ceļus nav locījuši Baalam! 5 Tā arī šajā laikā ir kāds atlikums, kas žēlastībā izredzēts, – 6 ja žēlastībā, tad ne no darbiem, citādi žēlastība vairs nebūtu žēlastība. 7 Un ko nu? Pēc kā Israēls dzenas – to viņš nav sasniedzis, tikai izredzētie to sasnieguši, pārējo sirdis tika nocietinātas, 8 gluži kā rakstīts:
Dievs tiem ir devis truluma garu,
acis, lai tie neredzētu,
un ausis, lai tie nedzirdētu, –
līdz pat šai dienai.
9 Un Dāvids saka:
lai viņu mielasts kļūst tiem par cilpu un slazdu,
par piedauzību un par atmaksu!
10 Lai viņu acis ir aptumšotas, tā ka tie neredz,
un viņu muguras lai vienmēr ir saliektas!
Pestīšana pagāniem
11 Tad es jautāju: vai tie nav paklupuši, lai kristu pavisam? Nu, protams, ne! Bet caur viņu krišanu pestīšana ir tikusi pagāniem, lai Israēlu darītu greizsirdīgu. 12 Bet, ja viņu krišana ir pasaulei bagātība un viņu zaudējums – bagātība pagāniem, cik lielāka bagātība – viņu pilnums. 13 Jums, pagāniem, es saku: tā kā esmu pagānu apustulis, es turu godā savu kalpošanu, 14 lai, cerams, darītu greizsirdīgus tos, kas ir manējie pēc miesas, un lai izglābtu dažus no viņiem. 15 Ja jau viņu atmešana ir pasaulei izlīgums, kas gan cits būs viņu pieņemšana, ja ne mirušo atdzīvošanās? 16 Ja pirmā raža ir svēta, tad arī visa mīkla, un, ja sakne ir svēta, tad arī zari. 17 Ja daži zari ir nolauzti, bet tu, zars no savvaļas olīvkoka, uzpotēts to vietā, esi saņēmis daļu no dārza olīvkoka saknes treknuma, 18 tad nelielies citu zaru priekšā; bet, ja lielies, tad zini: nevis tu nes sakni, bet sakne – tevi! 19 Tu gan sacīsi: zari tika nolauzti, lai es tiktu uzpotēts. 20 Tas tiesa! Neticības dēļ tie tika nolauzti, bet tu stāvi ticības dēļ. Neesi tādēļ augstprātīgs, bet esi bijīgs! 21 Ja Dievs nav taupījis dabīgos zarus, viņš arī tevi var nesaudzēt. 22 Redzi, kāda ir Dieva laipnība un Dieva bardzība! Pret tiem, kas krituši, ir Dieva bardzība, pret tevi – Dieva laipnība, ja vien tu tajā neatlaidīgi paliec; citādi arī tevi nocirtīs! 23 Un arī viņi, ja nepaliks neticībā, tiks uzpotēti; jo Dievs spēj viņus uzpotēt no jauna. 24 Ja jau tu esi nocirsts no olīvkoka, kas pēc dabas ir savvaļas, un pret savu dabu uzpotēts dārza olīvkokam, cik gan vairāk tie tiks uzpotēti savā pašu olīvkokā.
Viss Israēls tiks izglābts
25 Es, brāļi, negribu jūs atstāt neziņā par šo noslēpumu, lai jūs paši sev neliktos gudri: daļa Israēla ir tikusi nocietināta līdz laikam, kad visas tautas būs nākušas pie Dieva. 26 Un tā tiks izglābts viss Israēls, kā ir rakstīts:
glābējs nāks no Ciānas,
viņš novērsīs bezdievību no Jēkaba.
27 Un šī būs mana derība ar viņiem,
kad būšu atņēmis tiem viņu grēkus.
28 Pēc evaņģēlija viņi ir Dieva ienaidnieki jūsu dēļ, bet pēc izredzētības viņi ir mīļotie tēvu dēļ. 29 Dieva žēlastības dāvanas un aicinājums ir negrozāms. 30 Jo, tāpat kā jūs reiz bijāt nepaklausīgi Dievam un tagad esat apžēloti viņu nepaklausības dēļ, 31 tā arī tagad šie ir nepaklausīgi, lai jūs tiktu apžēloti un arī viņi paši reiz tiktu apžēloti. 32 Dievs visus ir saslēdzis nepaklausībā, lai visus apžēlotu. 33 Kāds Dieva bagātības un gudrības, un atziņas dziļums! Cik neizprotamas ir viņa tiesas un neizdibināmi ir viņa ceļi!
34 Kas gan ir izzinājis Kunga prātu,
kas viņam ir bijis padomdevējs;
35 kas viņam jebkad ko ir devis,
ka viņam būtu jāatlīdzina.
36 Jo no viņa un caur viņu, un uz viņu ir viss; viņam ir gods mūžīgi! Āmen!
