The Remnant of Israel

11 I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means!^(A) I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham,^(B) from the tribe of Benjamin.^{(C) 2} God did not reject his people,^(D) whom he foreknew.^(E) Don’t you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to 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”^[a]?^{(F) 4} And what was God’s answer to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”^{[b](G) 5} So too, at the present time there is a remnant^(H) chosen by grace.^{(I) 6} And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works;^(J) if it were, grace would no longer be grace.

⁷ What then? What the people of Israel sought so earnestly they did not obtain.^(K) The elect among them did, but the others were hardened,^{(L) 8} as it is written:

⁹ And David says:

Ingrafted Branches

¹¹ Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all!^(Q) Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles^(R) to make Israel envious.^{(S) 12} But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles,^(T) how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring!

¹³ I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles,^(U) I take pride in my ministry ¹⁴ in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy^(V) and save^(W) some of them. ¹⁵ For if their rejection brought reconciliation^(X) to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?^{(Y) 16} If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits^(Z) is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.

¹⁷ If some of the branches have been broken off,^(AA) and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others^(AB) and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, ¹⁸ do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.^(AC)