18 But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did:

“Their voice has gone out into all the earth,

their words to the ends of the world.”i v

19 Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says,

“I will make you enviousw by those who are not a nation;

I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding.”j x

20 And Isaiah boldly says,

“I was found by those who did not seek me;

I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me.”k y

21 But concerning Israel he says,

“All day long I have held out my hands

to a disobedient and obstinate people.”l z

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 remnanth 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:

“God gave them a spirit of stupor,

eyes that could not see

and ears that could not hear,m

to this very day.”c n

9 And David says:

“May their table become a snare and a trap,

a stumbling block and a retribution for them.

10 May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,o

and their backs be bent forever.”d p

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 Gentilesr 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 envyv and savew some of them. 15 For if their rejection brought reconciliationx to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?y 16 If the part of the dough offered as firstfruitsz is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.