Romans 11-12

Romans 11

¹So I say, Has God put his people on one side? Let there be no such thought. For I am of Israel, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

²God has not put away the people of his selection. Or have you no knowledge of what is said about Elijah in the holy Writings? how he says words to God against Israel,

³Lord, they have put your prophets to death, and made waste your altars, and now I am the last, and they are searching for me to take away my life.

⁴But what answer does God make to him? I have still seven thousand men whose knees have not been bent to Baal.

⁵In the same way, there are at this present time some who are marked out by the selection of grace.

⁶But if it is of grace, then it is no longer of works: or grace would not be grace.

⁷What then? That which Israel was searching for he did not get, but those of the selection got it and the rest were made hard.

⁸As it was said in the holy Writings, God gave them a spirit of sleep, eyes which might not see, and ears which have no hearing, to this day.

⁹And David says, Let their table be made a net for taking them, and a stone in their way, and a punishment:

¹⁰Let their eyes be made dark so that they may not see, and let their back be bent down at all times.

¹¹So I say, Were their steps made hard in order that they might have a fall? In no way: but by their fall salvation has come to the Gentiles, so that they might be moved to envy.

¹²Now, if their fall is the wealth of the world, and their loss the wealth of the Gentiles, how much greater will be the glory when they are made full?

¹³But I say to you, Gentiles, in so far as I am the Apostle of the Gentiles, I make much of my position:

¹⁴If in any way those who are of my flesh may be moved to envy, so that some of them may get salvation by me.

¹⁵For, if by their putting away, the rest of men have been made friends with God, what will their coming back again be, but life from the dead?

¹⁶And if the first-fruit is holy, so is the mass: and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

¹⁷But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, an olive-tree of the fields, were put in among them, and were given a part with them in the root by which the olive-tree is made fertile,

¹⁸Do not be uplifted in pride over the branches: because it is not you who are the support of the root, but it is by the root that you are supported.

¹⁹You will say, Branches were broken off so that I might be put in.

²⁰Truly, because they had no faith they were broken off, and you have your place by reason of your faith. Do not be lifted up in pride, but have fear;

²¹For, if God did not have mercy on the natural branches, he will not have mercy on you.

²²See then that God is good but his rules are fixed: to those who were put away he was hard, but to you he has been good, on the condition that you keep in his mercy; if not, you will be cut off as they were.

²³And they, if they do not go on without faith, will be united to the tree again, because God is able to put them in again.

²⁴For if you were cut out of a field olive-tree, and against the natural use were united to a good olive-tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be united again with the olive-tree which was theirs?

²⁵For it is my desire, brothers, that this secret may be clear to you, so that you may not have pride in your knowledge, that Israel has been made hard in part, till all the Gentiles have come in;

²⁶And so all Israel will get salvation: as it is said in the holy Writings, There will come out of Zion the One who makes free; by him wrongdoing will be taken away from Jacob:

²⁷And this is my agreement with them, when I will take away their sins.

²⁸As far as the good news is in question, they are cut off from God on account of you, but as far as the selection is in question, they are loved on account of the fathers.

²⁹Because God's selection and his mercies may not be changed.

³⁰For as you, in time past, were not under the rule of God, but now have got mercy through their turning away,

³¹So in the same way these have gone against the orders of God, so that by the mercy given to you they may now get mercy.

³²For God has let them all go against his orders, so that he might have mercy on them all.

³³O how deep is the wealth of the wisdom and knowledge of God! no one is able to make discovery of his decisions, and his ways may not be searched out.

³⁴Who has knowledge of the mind of the Lord? or who has taken part in his purposes?

³⁵Or who has first given to him, and it will be given back to him again?

³⁶For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things. To him be the glory for ever. So be it.

Romans 12

¹For this reason I make request to you, brothers, by the mercies of God, that you will give your bodies as a living offering, holy, pleasing to God, which is the worship it is right for you to give him.

²And let not your behaviour be like that of this world, but be changed and made new in mind, so that by experience you may have knowledge of the good and pleasing and complete purpose of God.

³But I say to every one of you, through the grace given to me, not to have an over-high opinion of himself, but to have wise thoughts, as God has given to every one a measure of faith.

⁴For, as we have a number of parts in one body, but all the parts have not the same use,

⁵So we, though we are a number of persons, are one body in Christ, and are dependent on one another;

⁶And having different qualities by reason of the grace given to us, such as the quality of a prophet, let it be made use of in relation to the measure of our faith;

⁷Or the position of a Deacon of the church, let a man give himself to it; or he who has the power of teaching, let him make use of it;

⁸He who has the power of comforting, let him do so; he who gives, let him give freely; he who has the power of ruling, let him do it with a serious mind; he who has mercy on others, let it be with joy.

⁹Let love be without deceit. Be haters of what is evil; keep your minds fixed on what is good.

¹⁰Be kind to one another with a brother's love, putting others before yourselves in honour;

¹¹Be not slow in your work, but be quick in spirit, as the Lord's servants;

¹²Being glad in hope, quiet in trouble, at all times given to prayer,

¹³Giving to the needs of the saints, ready to take people into your houses.

¹⁴Give blessing and not curses to those who are cruel to you.

¹⁵Take part in the joy of those who are glad, and in the grief of those who are sorrowing.

¹⁶Be in harmony with one another. Do not have a high opinion of yourselves, but be in agreement with common people. Do not give yourselves an air of wisdom.

¹⁷Do not give evil for evil to any man. Let all your business be well ordered in the eyes of all men.

¹⁸As far as it is possible for you be at peace with all men.

¹⁹Do not give punishment for wrongs done to you, dear brothers, but give way to the wrath of God; for it is said in the holy Writings, Punishment is mine, I will give reward, says the Lord.

²⁰But if one who has hate for you is in need of food or of drink, give it to him, for in so doing you will put coals of fire on his head.

²¹Do not let evil overcome you, but overcome evil by good.