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The point of what I am saying is this–of course God did not discard his own people! In fact, I too am an Israelite. I am a {direct} descendant of {the patriarch} Abraham. I come from the {family} tribe of Benjamin {who was the son of the Patriarch Jacob}. 2 God did not discard his people who he knew in advance {would belong to him}. You certainly know what the holy scripture says about the Prophet Elijah. Elijah appealed to God against Israel. 3 {This is what the Prophet Elijah said,} “Lord, they murdered {all of} your prophets {except for me}! They demolished all your altars! I am the very last surviving {prophet}! Now, they are trying to kill me {too}!” 4 But, this is how God replied to Elijah, “I have kept 7,000 people alive for my purposes. These men have not bowed down to {worship the idol} Baal.” 5 The same thing is also true at this time in history. God has graciously chosen that some (Israelites) would survive. 6 Certainly, {God chooses his people} based on how gracious he is. So, {God} does not {choose his people} because they do {what God‘s law says}. {If God chose people because they do what the law says,} then how gracious he is would not be {revealed}.7 So then, although Israel continues striving to make themselves right with God, they cannot attain this goal. Instead, those who God {graciously} chose {from Israel} become right with God. But, those God did not {graciously} choose {from Israel} stubbornly refused to become right with God. 8 This is exactly what the holy scriptures say {about Israel}, “God allowed them to remain bewildered. Until this present day, God has made them completely unable to understand {how gracious he is}.” 9 {King} David also prophesies in the holy scriptures, “{O God}, while they live luxuriously, catch them like a bird in a net or wild animal in a trap! Make them stumble and fall! Pay them back {for how luxuriously they live}!
10 Cause them to become blind so they cannot see! Make them unable to raise their heads {to see how gracious you are}–forever!”
11 Yet, this is what I say, “Of course the Israelites are not completely rejected by God! But, God saves the nations because Israel failed {to make themselves right with God}. This is because God wants to make the people of Israel {so} jealous of the nations, {that they ask God to make them right with himself}. 12 Indeed, the Israelites failed {to make themselves right with God}. God made how they failed turn into gain for the world. What they lost became gain for the nations. So, when the full number of Israelites become right with God, this will be even more gain {for all of God‘s people}!
13 But now I am speaking to you who are from the nations. God made me his authorized representative to the nations. So, I glorify {God} by doing what he assigned to me. 14 If possible, I want to make my fellow-Israelites jealous about what the nations have {by announcing God‘s good news}, so that God will save some of them. 15 In fact, God reconciles the world because they reject {his good news}. So, when they accept {his good news} it will be as if God is making them alive after dying. 16 Indeed, {the first Israelites were special to God, just like} the first portion of a lump of dough is special. In the same way, {the current Israelites are still special to God, just like} the rest of a lump of dough is special because it comes from the first portion. Also, {the first Israelites were special to God, just like} the root of a tree is special. In the same way, {the current Israelites are still special to God, just like} the branches of a tree are special because they come from the root.
17 Indeed, {God has removed some of the Israelites from his people, like} they were branches broken off a tree. But, {those of you who were not part of God‘s people were joined to his people, like} wild olive branches are grafted in {to the native tree}. Now {you share together in benefitting from being part of God‘s people, like} grafted branches richly share in the olive tree root. 18 You nations must not boast against the removed Israelites, even though they are like broken off branches! Instead, if you do boast, you must realize that you do not sustain the Israelites. Indeed, they sustain you–just like the root sustains the branches! 19 So then, you might say, ”{God removed some of the Israelites from his people, like} breaking off branches from a tree. {God did this} so that {he could join} me to his people, like a branch} is grafted into a tree.” 20 I say, “Well said! {Like broken off branches}, God removed some of the Israelites from being his people because they were unfaithful. However, you who are from the {other} nations {only} remain {part of God‘s people if} you remain faithful to him. Do not become arrogant about how smart you are, but fear {how powerful God is!} 21 Certainly, God did not show pity to the {faithless Israelites, even though they were like} natural branches. So, he will not show pity to you {who are from the nations} if you become faithless!
22 Take note then, how kind and harsh God can be! God is harsh toward those who fail to remain faithful to him. However, God will show how kind he is toward you who are from the nations if you continue to accept how kind he is by remaining faithful. But, if you do not {remain faithful}, God will totally reject you{–like a severed branch}! 23 However, if the Israelites do not remain faithless, God will allow them to {rejoin his people, like branches} grafted in. This is because God is powerful enough to graft in the Israelites again to rejoin his people. 24 Certainly, you were {removed from the nations, like} a branch cut off from a naturally wild olive tree. Then {God joined you to his people, like} a wild olive branch that is grafted into a cultivated olive tree. Since this true, {God} will certainly {join} any faithful Israelites {back into his people, like} a naturally cultivated olive branch that is grafted into its own olive tree.
25 Indeed, my fellow believers in the Messiah, I do not want you to remain unaware of God‘s mysterious plan, so that you do not become conceited. Because God has allowed a portion of the Israelites to stubbornly refuse to be made right with himself. {This will happen} until all the people God has chosen from the nations join his people. 26 Then this is the way God will save all {of} Israel. This is exactly what is written in the holy scriptures, “God will send his rescuer from {Mount} Zion. {God‘s rescuer} will cause {Israel‘s descendants from} Jacob to stop rejecting God.
27 {God says,} “This is the agreement I make with Israel, whenever I forgive their sins.”
28 As it relates to the good news, {the people of Israel are} the enemies of the {other} nations. However, as it relates to how God chose them to be his people, God loves {Israel} because of {how God loves Israel‘s} Patriarchs. 29 This is because God does not revoke the things he graciously gives and who he summons {to be his people}. 30 In fact, there was a time when you who are from the nations did not obey God. However, now God has shown how merciful he is toward you, because Israel disobeyed God. 31 In the same way, the Israelites have also now disobeyed {God}. They reacted to how merciful God is toward you {from the nations} by disobeying him. God did this} so that he could now also show how merciful he is toward them. 32 Indeed, God allowed all {types of} people to become disobedient. He did this so that he could show how merciful he is to all {types of} people.
33 God‘s {plans} are so wise and intelligent! They are like a deep {mine full} of wealth! No one can search out what he determines! No one can track where he goes! 34 {As the holy scriptures say,} “Indeed, {there is no one} who could {possibly} comprehend what the Lord intends! {There is no one} who could {possibly} advise him! 35 No one could possibly give God anything that would cause him to owe them something!”
36 Certainly, all {these} things originated from God and are enacted by God, and lead to God{’s glory. This is why all types of people must} glorify him forever. May it be so!