1 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. 2 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: 3 "Lord, they have killed your prophets. They have broken down your altars. I am left alone, and they seek my life." 4 But how does God answer him? "I have reserved for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal." 5 Even so too at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 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.

7 What then? That which Israel seeks for, that he didn’t obtain, but the chosen ones obtained it, and the rest were hardened. 8 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."

9 David says,

"Let their table be made a snare, a trap,

a stumbling block, and a retribution to them.

10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see.

Always keep their backs bent."

11 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. 12 Now if their fall is the riches of the world, and their loss the riches of the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!

13 For I speak to you who are Gentiles. Since then as I am an apostle to Gentiles, I glorify my ministry, 14 if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh, and may save some of them. 15 For if the rejection of them is the reconciling of the world, what would their acceptance be, but life from the dead?

16 If the first fruit is holy, so is the lump. If the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 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, 18 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. 19 You will say then, "Branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in." 20 True; by their unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by your faith. Don’t be conceited, but fear; 21 for if God didn’t spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 22 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. 23 They also, if they don’t continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 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?

25 For I don’t desire you to be ignorant, brothers, 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, 26 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.

27 This is my covenant with them,

when I will take away their sins."

28 Concerning the Good News, they are enemies for your sake. But concerning the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sake. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 For as you in time past were disobedient to God, but now have obtained mercy by their disobedience, 31 even so these also have now been disobedient, that by the mercy shown to you they may also obtain mercy. 32 For God has bound all to disobedience, that he might have mercy on all.

33 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!

34 "For who has known the mind of the Lord?

Or who has been his counselor?"

35 "Or who has first given to him,

and it will be repaid to him again?"

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

1 Ek vra dan: Het God miskien sy volk verstoot? Nee, stellig nie! Want ek is ook 'n Israeliet uit die nageslag van Abraham, van die stam van Benjamin.

2 God het sy volk wat Hy vantevore geken het, nie verstoot nie. Of weet julle nie wat die Skrif in die gedeelte oor El¡a sê nie? hoe hy by God optree teen Israel en sê:

3 Here, hulle het u profete gedood en u altare het hulle afgebreek, en ek het alleen oorgebly, en hulle soek my lewe!

4 Maar wat sê die Godspraak aan hom? Ek het vir Myself sewe duisend manne laat oorbly wat die knie voor Ba„l nie gebuig het nie.

5 Net so is daar dan ook in die teenwoordige tyd 'n oorblyfsel, ooreenkomstig die verkiesing van die genade.

6 En as dit deur genade is, dan is dit nie meer uit die werke nie; anders is die genade geen genade meer nie. En as dit uit die werke is, dan is dit nie meer genade nie; anders is die werk geen werk meer nie.

7 Wat dan? Wat Israel soek, dit het hy nie verkry nie; maar die uitverkorenes het dit verkry en die ander is verhard.

8 Soos geskrywe is: God het hulle gegee 'n gees van diepe slaap, oë om nie te sien nie en ore om nie te hoor nie, tot vandag toe.

9 En Dawid sê: Laat hulle tafel vir hulle wees 'n vangnet en 'n strik en 'n struikelblok en 'n vergelding.

10 Laat hulle oë duister word om nie te sien nie, en buig hulle rug vir altyd krom.

11 Ek vra dan: Het hulle miskien gestruikel om te val? Nee, stellig nie! Maar deur hulle val het die saligheid tot die heidene gekom om hulle jaloers te maak.

12 En as hulle val die rykdom van die wêreld is en hulle tekort die rykdom van die heidene, hoeveel te meer sal hulle volheid dit nie wees nie!

13 Want aan julle heidene sê ek: Vir sover as ek 'n apostel van die heidene is, verheerlik ek my bediening

14 as ek tog maar net my eie volk jaloers kan maak en sommige uit hulle kan red!

15 Want as hulle verwerping die versoening van die wêreld is, wat sal hulle aanneming anders wees as lewe uit die dode?

16 En as die eerstelinge heilig is, dan die deeg ook; en as die wortel heilig is, dan die takke ook.

17 En as sommige van die takke afgebreek is, en jy wat 'n wilde olyfboom was, onder hulle ingeënt is en deel gekry het aan die wortel en die vettigheid van die olyfboom,

18 moet dan nie teen die takke roem nie; en as jy roem dit is nie jy wat die wortel dra nie, maar die wortel vir jou.

19 Jy sal dan sê: Die takke is afgebreek, sodat ek ingeënt kon word.

20 Goed! Deur ongeloof is hulle afgebreek, maar jy staan deur die geloof. Moenie hoogmoedig wees nie, maar vrees.

21 Want as God die natuurlike takke nie gespaar het nie, sal Hy miskien jou ook nie spaar nie.

22 Let dan op die goedertierenheid en die gestrengheid van God: gestrengheid oor die wat geval het, maar goedertierenheid oor jou as jy in die goedertierenheid bly; anders sal jy ook afgekap word.

23 Maar ook hulle sal, as hulle nie in die ongeloof bly nie, ingeënt word; want God is magtig om hulle weer in te ent.

24 Want as jy afgekap is van die olyfboom wat van nature wild was, en teen die natuur op die mak olyfboom ingeënt kan word, hoeveel te meer kan hulle dan wat dit van nature is, op hul eie olyfboom ingeënt word?

25 Want ek wil nie hê, broeders, dat julle hierdie verborgenheid nie moet weet nie, sodat julle nie eiewys mag wees nie: dat die verharding ten dele oor Israel gekom het totdat die volheid van die heidene ingegaan het;

26 en so sal die hele Israel gered word, soos geskrywe is: Die Verlosser sal uit Sion kom en sal die goddelooshede van Jakob afwend;

27 en dit is van my kant die verbond met hulle as Ek hulle sondes wegneem.

28 Wat die evangelie betref, is hulle wel vyande ter wille van julle; maar wat die uitverkiesing betref, bemindes ter wille van die vaders.

29 Want die genadegawes en die roeping van God is onberoulik.

30 Want soos julle ook vroeër aan God ongehoorsaam was, maar nou barmhartigheid ontvang het deur hulle ongehoorsaamheid,

31 so het hulle ook nou ongehoorsaam geword deur die barmhartigheid aan julle, sodat hulle ook barmhartigheid kan ontvang.

32 Want God het hulle almal in die ongehoorsaamheid ingesluit om vir almal barmhartig te kan wees.

33 o Diepte van die rykdom en wysheid en kennis van God! Hoe ondeurgrondelik is sy oordele en onnaspeurlik sy weë!

34 Want wie het die gedagte van die Here geken, of wie was sy raadsman gewees?

35 Of wie het eers iets aan Hom gegee, dat dit hom vergeld moet word?

36 Want uit Hom en deur Hom en tot Hom is alle dinge. Syne is die heerlikheid tot in ewigheid. Amen.