Romains (NAB) 11
11 1 I ask, then, has God rejected his people? Of course not! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the scripture says about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel?3 "Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have torn down your altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life."4 But what is God's response to him? "I have left for myself seven thousand men who have not knelt to Baal."5 So also at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace.6 But if by grace, it is no longer because of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.7 What then? What Israel was seeking it did not attain, but the elect attained it; the rest were hardened,8 as it is written: "God gave them a spirit of deep sleep, eyes that should not see and ears that should not hear, down to this very day."9 And David says: "Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them;10 let their eyes grow dim so that they may not see, and keep their backs bent forever."
11 Hence I ask, did they stumble so as to fall? Of course not! But through their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make them jealous. 12 Now if their transgression is enrichment for the world, and if their diminished number is enrichment for the Gentiles, how much more their full number.13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I glory in my ministry14 in order to make my race jealous and thus save some of them.15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?16 If the firstfruits are holy, so is the whole batch of dough; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in their place and have come to share in the rich root of the olive tree,18 do not boast against the branches. If you do boast, consider that you do not support the root; the root supports you.19 Indeed you will say, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in."20 That is so. They were broken off because of unbelief, but you are there because of faith. So do not become haughty, but stand in awe.21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, (perhaps) he will not spare you either.
22 See, then, the kindness and severity of God: severity toward those who fell, but God's kindness to you, provided you remain in his kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off.23 And they also, if they do not remain in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.24 For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated one, how much more will they who belong to it by nature be grafted back into their own olive tree.
25 I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not become wise (in) your own estimation: a hardening has come upon Israel in part, until the full number of the Gentiles comes in, 26 and thus all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The deliverer will come out of Zion, he will turn away godlessness from Jacob;27 and this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins."28 In respect to the gospel, they are enemies on your account; but in respect to election, they are beloved because of the patriarchs.29 For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.30 Just as you once disobeyed God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so they have now disobeyed in order that, by virtue of the mercy shown to you, they too may (now) receive mercy.32 For God delivered all to disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all.
33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways! 34 "For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been his counselor?" 35 "Or who has given him anything that he may be repaid?" 36 For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
12 1 I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship. 2 Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.
3 For by the grace given to me I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than one ought to think, but to think soberly, each according to the measure of faith that God has apportioned.4 For as in one body we have many parts, and all the parts do not have the same function,5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ and individually parts of one another. 6 Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us exercise them: if prophecy, in proportion to the faith; 7 if ministry, in ministering; if one is a teacher, in teaching;8 if one exhorts, in exhortation; if one contributes, in generosity; if one is over others, with diligence; if one does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
9 Let love be sincere; hate what is evil, hold on to what is good;10 love one another with mutual affection; anticipate one another in showing honor.11 Do not grow slack in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.12 Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer.13 Contribute to the needs of the holy ones, exercise hospitality.14 Bless those who persecute (you), bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.16 Have the same regard for one another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly; do not be wise in your own estimation.17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil; be concerned for what is noble in the sight of all.18 If possible, on your part, live at peace with all.19 Beloved, do not look for revenge but leave room for the wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord."20 Rather, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head."21 Do not be conquered by evil but conquer evil with good.
13 1 Let every person be subordinate to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been established by God. 2 Therefore, whoever resists authority opposes what God has appointed, and those who oppose it will bring judgment upon themselves.3 For rulers are not a cause of fear to good conduct, but to evil. Do you wish to have no fear of authority? Then do what is good and you will receive approval from it,4 for it is a servant of God for your good. But if you do evil, be afraid, for it does not bear the sword without purpose; it is the servant of God to inflict wrath on the evildoer.5 Therefore, it is necessary to be subject not only because of the wrath but also because of conscience.6 This is why you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, devoting themselves to this very thing.
7 Pay to all their dues, taxes to whom taxes are due, toll to whom toll is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.
8 Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery; you shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this saying, (namely) "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."10 Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.
11 And do this because you know the time; it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed; 12 the night is advanced, the day is at hand. Let us then throw off the works of darkness (and) put on the armor of light;13 let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and licentiousness, not in rivalry and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.
14 1 Welcome anyone who is weak in faith, but not for disputes over opinions. 2 One person believes that one may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables.3 The one who eats must not despise the one who abstains, and the one who abstains must not pass judgment on the one who eats; for God has welcomed him.4 Who are you to pass judgment on someone else's servant? Before his own master he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.5 (For) one person considers one day more important than another, while another person considers all days alike. Let everyone be fully persuaded in his own mind. 6 Whoever observes the day, observes it for the Lord. Also whoever eats, eats for the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; while whoever abstains, abstains for the Lord and gives thanks to God.7 None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself.8 For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord; so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. 9 For this is why Christ died and came to life, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.10 Why then do you judge your brother? Or you, why do you look down on your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God;11 for it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bend before me, and every tongue shall give praise to God."12 So (then) each of us shall give an account of himself (to God).
13 Then let us no longer judge one another, but rather resolve never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.14 I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; still, it is unclean for someone who thinks it unclean.15 If your brother is being hurt by what you eat, your conduct is no longer in accord with love. Do not because of your food destroy him for whom Christ died.16 So do not let your good be reviled.17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of food and drink, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the holy Spirit;18 whoever serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by others.19 Let us then pursue what leads to peace and to building up one another. 20 For the sake of food, do not destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to become a stumbling block by eating;21 it is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.22 Keep the faith (that) you have to yourself in the presence of God; blessed is the one who does not condemn himself for what he approves.23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because this is not from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.
15 1 We who are strong ought to put up with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves;2 let each of us please our neighbor for the good, for building up.
3 For Christ did not please himself; but, as it is written, "The insults of those who insult you fall upon me." 4 For whatever was written previously was written for our instruction, that by endurance and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.
5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to think in harmony with one another, in keeping with Christ Jesus, 6 that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7 Welcome one another, then, as Christ welcomed you, for the glory of God. 8 For I say that Christ became a minister of the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, to confirm the promises to the patriarchs,9 but so that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written: "Therefore, I will praise you among the Gentiles and sing praises to your name."10 And again it says: "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people." 11 And again: "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him."12 And again Isaiah says: "The root of Jesse shall come, raised up to rule the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles hope."
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the holy Spirit.
14 I myself am convinced about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to admonish one another. 15 But I have written to you rather boldly in some respects to remind you, because of the grace given me by God16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in performing the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering up of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the holy Spirit.
17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to boast in what pertains to God.18 For I will not dare to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to lead the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed,19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit (of God), so that from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum I have finished preaching the gospel of Christ. 20 Thus I aspire to proclaim the gospel not where Christ has already been named, so that I do not build on another's foundation, 21 but as it is written: "Those who have never been told of him shall see, and those who have never heard of him shall understand."
22 That is why I have so often been prevented from coming to you.23 But now, since I no longer have any opportunity in these regions and since I have desired to come to you for many years,24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain and to be sent on my way there by you, after I have enjoyed being with you for a time.25 Now, however, I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the holy ones. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia have decided to make some contribution for the poor among the holy ones in Jerusalem; 27 they decided to do it, and in fact they are indebted to them, for if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to serve them in material blessings.28 So when I have completed this and safely handed over this contribution to them, I shall set out by way of you to Spain;29 and I know that in coming to you I shall come in the fullness of Christ's blessing.
30 I urge you, (brothers,) by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in the struggle by your prayers to God on my behalf,31 that I may be delivered from the disobedient in Judea, and that my ministry for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the holy ones,32 so that I may come to you with joy by the will of God and be refreshed together with you.33 The God of peace be with all of you. Amen.
16 1 I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is (also) a minister of the church at Cenchreae, 2 that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the holy ones, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a benefactor to many and to me as well.3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I am grateful but also all the churches of the Gentiles;5 greet also the church at their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the firstfruits in Asia for Christ. 6 Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you.7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives and my fellow prisoners; they are prominent among the apostles and they were in Christ before me. 8 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord.9 Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys.10 Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus.11 Greet my relative Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus.12 Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord.13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them.15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the holy ones who are with them.16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.
17 I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who create dissensions and obstacles, in opposition to the teaching that you learned; avoid them. 18 For such people do not serve our Lord Christ but their own appetites, and by fair and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the innocent.19 For while your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, I want you to be wise as to what is good, and simple as to what is evil;
20 then the God of peace will quickly crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
21 Timothy, my co-worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my relatives.22 I, Tertius, the writer of this letter, greet you in the Lord.23 Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus greet you. 24 ) (
25 Now to him who can strengthen you, according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret for long ages
26 but now manifested through the prophetic writings and, according to the command of the eternal God, made known to all nations to bring about the obedience of faith,
27 to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ be glory forever and ever. Amen.)
Romains (NAB) 11