Romans · Bible in Basic English
Romans 11 Bible in Basic English
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 So 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.
1 Λέγω οὖν, μὴ ἀπώσατο ὁ Θεὸς τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ; μὴ γένοιτο· καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼ Ἰσραηλίτης εἰμί, ἐκ σπέρματος Ἀβραάμ, φυλῆς Βενιαμίν.
2 God 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,
2 οὐκ ἀπώσατο ὁ Θεὸς τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ ὃν προέγνω. ἢ οὐκ οἴδατε ἐν Ἠλίᾳ τί λέγει ἡ γραφή, ὡς ἐντυγχάνει τῷ Θεῷ κατὰ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ λέγων;
3 Lord, 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.
3 Κύριε, τοὺς προφήτας σου ἀπέκτειναν καὶ τὰ θυσιαστήριά σου κατέσκαψαν, κἀγὼ ὑπελείφθην μόνος, καὶ ζητοῦσι τὴν ψυχήν μου.
4 But what answer does God make to him? I have still seven thousand men whose knees have not been bent to Baal.
4 ἀλλὰ τί λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ χρηματισμός; κατέλιπον ἐμαυτῷ ἑπτακισχιλίους ἄνδρας, οἵτινες οὐκ ἔκαμψαν γόνυ τῇ Βάαλ.
5 In the same way, there are at this present time some who are marked out by the selection of grace.
5 οὕτως οὖν καὶ ἐν τῷ νῦν καιρῷ λεῖμμα κατ᾽ ἐκλογὴν χάριτος γέγονεν.
6 But if it is of grace, then it is no longer of works: or grace would not be grace.
6 εἰ δὲ χάριτι, οὐκέτι ἐξ ἔργων· ἐπεὶ ἡ χάρις οὐκέτι γίνεται χάρις. εἰ δὲ ἐξ ἔργων, οὐκέτι ἐστὶ χάρις· ἐπεὶ τὸ ἔργον οὐκέτι ἐστὶν ἔργον.
7 What then? That which Israel was searching for he did not get, but those of the selection got it and the rest were made hard.
7 Τί οὖν; ὃ ἐπιζητεῖ Ἰσραήλ, τοῦτο οὐκ ἐπέτυχεν, ἡ δὲ ἐκλογὴ ἐπέτυχεν· οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ ἐπωρώθησαν,
8 As 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.
8 καθὼς γέγραπται· ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ὁ Θεὸς πνεῦμα κατανύξεως, ὀφθαλμοὺς τοῦ μὴ βλέπειν καὶ ὦτα τοῦ μὴ ἀκούειν, ἕως τῆς σήμερον ἡμέρας.
9 And David says, Let their table be made a net for taking them, and a stone in their way, and a punishment:
9 καὶ Δαυῒδ λέγει· γενηθήτω ἡ τράπεζα αὐτῶν εἰς παγίδα καὶ εἰς θήραν καὶ εἰς σκάνδαλον καὶ εἰς ἀνταπόδομα αὐτοῖς·
10 Let their eyes be made dark so that they may not see, and let their back be bent down at all times.
10 σκοτισθήτωσαν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτῶν τοῦ μὴ βλέπειν, καὶ τὸν νῶτον αὐτῶν διὰ παντὸς σύγκαμψον.
11 So 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.
11 Λέγω οὖν, μὴ ἔπταισαν ἵνα πέσωσι; μὴ γένοιτο· ἀλλὰ τῷ αὐτῶν παραπτώματι ἡ σωτηρία τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, εἰς τὸ παραζηλῶσαι αὐτούς.
12 Now, 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?
12 εἰ δὲ τὸ παράπτωμα αὐτῶν πλοῦτος κόσμου καὶ τὸ ἥττημα αὐτῶν πλοῦτος ἐθνῶν, πόσῳ μᾶλλον τὸ πλήρωμα αὐτῶν;
13 But I say to you, Gentiles, in so far as I am the Apostle of the Gentiles, I make much of my position:
13 Ὑμῖν γὰρ λέγω τοῖς ἔθνεσιν. ἐφ᾽ ὅσον μέν εἰμι ἐγὼ ἐθνῶν ἀπόστολος, τὴν διακονίαν μου δοξάζω,
14 If in any way those who are of my flesh may be moved to envy, so that some of them may get salvation by me.
14 εἴ πως παραζηλώσω μου τὴν σάρκα καὶ σώσω τινὰς ἐξ αὐτῶν.
15 For, 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?
15 εἰ γὰρ ἡ ἀποβολὴ αὐτῶν καταλλαγὴ κόσμου, τίς ἡ πρόσληψις εἰ μὴ ζωὴ ἐκ νεκρῶν;
16 And if the first-fruit is holy, so is the mass: and if the root is holy, so are the branches.
16 εἰ δὲ ἡ ἀπαρχὴ ἁγία, καὶ τὸ φύραμα· καὶ εἰ ἡ ῥίζα ἁγία, καὶ οἱ κλάδοι.
17 But 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,
17 Εἰ δέ τινες τῶν κλάδων ἐξεκλάσθησαν, σὺ δὲ ἀγριέλαιος ὢν ἐνεκεντρίσθης ἐν αὐτοῖς καὶ συγκοινωνὸς τῆς ῥίζης καὶ τῆς πιότητος τῆς ἐλαίας ἐγένου,
18 Do 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.
18 μὴ κατακαυχῶ τῶν κλάδων· εἰ δὲ κατακαυχᾶσαι, οὐ σὺ τὴν ῥίζαν βαστάζεις, ἀλλ᾽ ἡ ῥίζα σέ.
19 You will say, Branches were broken off so that I might be put in.
19 ἐρεῖς οὖν· ἐξεκλάσθησαν [οἱ] κλάδοι, ἵνα ἐγὼ ἐγκεντρισθῶ.
20 Truly, 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;
20 καλῶς· τῇ ἀπιστίᾳ ἐξεκλάσθησαν, σὺ δὲ τῇ πίστει ἕστηκας. μὴ ὑψηλοφρόνει, ἀλλὰ φοβοῦ·
21 For, if God did not have mercy on the natural branches, he will not have mercy on you.
21 εἰ γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς τῶν κατὰ φύσιν κλάδων οὐκ ἐφείσατο, μή πως οὐδὲ σοῦ φείσεται.
22 See 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.
22 ἴδε οὖν χρηστότητα καὶ ἀποτομίαν Θεοῦ, ἐπὶ μὲν τοὺς πεσόντας ἀποτομίαν, ἐπὶ δὲ σὲ χρηστότητα, ἐὰν ἐπιμείνῃς τῇ χρηστότητι· ἐπεὶ καὶ σὺ ἐκκοπήσῃ.
23 And 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.
23 καὶ ἐκεῖνοι δέ, ἐὰν μὴ ἐπιμείνωσι τῇ ἀπιστίᾳ, ἐγκεντρισθήσονται· δυνατὸς γὰρ ὁ Θεός ἐστι πάλιν ἐγκεντρίσαι αὐτούς.
24 For 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?
24 εἰ γὰρ σὺ ἐκ τῆς κατὰ φύσιν ἐξεκόπης ἀγριελαίου καὶ παρὰ φύσιν ἐνεκεντρίσθης εἰς καλλιέλαιον, πόσῳ μᾶλλον οὗτοι οἱ κατὰ φύσιν ἐγκεντρισθήσονται τῇ ἰδίᾳ ἐλαίᾳ;
25 For 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;
25 Οὐ γὰρ θέλω ὑμᾶς ἀγνοεῖν, ἀδελφοί, τὸ μυστήριον τοῦτο, ἵνα μὴ ἦτε παρ᾽ ἑαυτοῖς φρόνιμοι, ὅτι πώρωσις ἀπὸ μέρους τῷ Ἰσραὴλ γέγονεν ἄχρις οὗ τὸ πλήρωμα τῶν ἐθνῶν εἰσέλθῃ,
26 And 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:
26 καὶ οὕτω πᾶς Ἰσραὴλ σωθήσεται, καθὼς γέγραπται· ἥξει ἐκ Σιὼν ὁ ῥυόμενος καὶ ἀποστρέψει ἀσεβείας ἀπὸ Ἰακώβ·
27 And this is my agreement with them, when I will take away their sins.
27 καὶ αὕτη αὐτοῖς ἡ παρ᾽ ἐμοῦ διαθήκη, ὅταν ἀφέλωμαι τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν.
28 As 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.
28 κατὰ μὲν τὸ εὐαγγέλιον ἐχθροὶ δι᾽ ὑμᾶς, κατὰ δὲ τὴν ἐκλογὴν ἀγαπητοὶ διὰ τοὺς πατέρας·
29 Because God's selection and his mercies may not be changed.
29 ἀμεταμέλητα γὰρ τὰ χαρίσματα καὶ ἡ κλῆσις τοῦ Θεοῦ.
30 For as you, in time past, were not under the rule of God, but now have got mercy through their turning away,
30 ὥσπερ γὰρ καὶ ὑμεῖς ποτε ἠπειθήσατε τῷ Θεῷ, νῦν δὲ ἠλεήθητε τῇ τούτων ἀπειθείᾳ,
31 So 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.
31 οὕτω καὶ οὗτοι νῦν ἠπείθησαν, τῷ ὑμετέρῳ ἐλέει ἵνα καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐλεηθῶσι·
32 For God has let them all go against his orders, so that he might have mercy on them all.
32 συνέκλεισε γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς τοὺς πάντας εἰς ἀπείθειαν, ἵνα τοὺς πάντας ἐλεήσῃ.
33 O 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.
33 Ὦ βάθος πλούτου καὶ σοφίας καὶ γνώσεως Θεοῦ! ὡς ἀνεξερεύνητα τὰ κρίματα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀνεξιχνίαστοι αἱ ὁδοὶ αὐτοῦ!
34 Who has knowledge of the mind of the Lord? or who has taken part in his purposes?
34 τίς γὰρ ἔγνω νοῦν Κυρίου; ἢ τίς σύμβουλος αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο;
35 Or who has first given to him, and it will be given back to him again?
35 ἢ τίς προέδωκεν αὐτῷ, καὶ ἀνταποδοθήσεται αὐτῷ;
36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things. To him be the glory for ever. So be it.
36 ὅτι ἐξ αὐτοῦ καὶ δι᾽ αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν τὰ πάντα. αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας· ἀμήν.
Cross references (36)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 2 Corinthians 11:22; 1 Samuel 12:22; Jeremiah 33:24–26; Philippians 3:5; Acts 26:4
- 2 Psalm 94:14; Romans 8:29–30; 1 Peter 1:2; Acts 3:17; Numbers 16:15
- 3 1 Kings 19:10–18; 1 Kings 18:13; Nehemiah 9:26; Jeremiah 2:30; 1 Kings 18:4
- 4 1 Kings 19:18; Numbers 25:3; Zephaniah 1:4; 2 Kings 10:19–20; Judges 2:13
- 5 Romans 9:27; Ephesians 1:5–6; Romans 9:11; Romans 11:6–7; Romans 11:28
- 6 Galatians 2:21; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 3:5; Romans 3:27–28; Romans 4:4–5
- 7 Romans 9:18; Romans 11:5; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Romans 11:25; Romans 9:31–32
- 8 Deuteronomy 29:4; Isaiah 29:10; Ezekiel 12:2; Jeremiah 5:21; 2 Corinthians 3:14–15
- 9 Psalm 69:22–23; Psalm 28:4; Deuteronomy 32:13–15; Isaiah 59:18; 1 Timothy 6:17–19
- 10 Psalm 69:23; Deuteronomy 28:64–68; 2 Peter 2:4; Romans 11:8; Romans 1:21
- 11 Acts 13:46–48; Romans 11:31; Romans 10:19; Romans 11:12; Romans 11:14
- 12 Romans 11:25; Colossians 1:27; Romans 11:15; Isaiah 11:11–12:6; Ephesians 3:8
- 13 Acts 9:15; 2 Timothy 1:11–12; Romans 15:16–19; Galatians 1:16; 1 Timothy 2:7
- 14 1 Corinthians 7:16; 1 Timothy 4:16; Romans 9:3; Titus 3:5; 1 Timothy 2:4
- 15 Ephesians 1:10; Romans 5:10–11; Luke 15:24; Romans 11:11–12; 2 Corinthians 5:18–20
- 16 Proverbs 3:9; Ezekiel 44:30; James 1:18; Jeremiah 2:21; Numbers 15:17–21
- 17 Ephesians 2:11–13; Ephesians 3:6; Jeremiah 11:16; John 15:2; Psalm 52:8
- 18 1 Corinthians 10:12; Romans 11:20; Romans 3:27; Ephesians 2:19–20; John 10:16
- 19 Romans 11:23–24; Romans 11:17; Romans 11:11–12
- 20 Romans 12:16; 2 Corinthians 1:24; 1 Corinthians 10:12; Philippians 2:12; 1 Peter 1:17
- 21 Jeremiah 49:12; 2 Peter 2:4–9; Jeremiah 25:29; Romans 8:32; Jude 5
- 22 Hebrews 3:14; Hebrews 3:6; 1 Corinthians 15:2; John 15:2; Revelation 2:5
- 23 2 Corinthians 3:16; Zechariah 12:10; Matthew 23:39
- 24 Romans 11:17–18
- 25 Luke 21:24; 2 Corinthians 3:14–16; Romans 16:25; Romans 12:16; Zechariah 8:20–23
- 26 Isaiah 59:20; Jeremiah 31:31–37; Psalm 14:7; Hosea 3:5; Zechariah 10:6–12
- 27 Jeremiah 31:31–34; Isaiah 59:21; Jeremiah 32:38–40; Ezekiel 36:25–29; Isaiah 43:25
- 28 Deuteronomy 10:15; Deuteronomy 7:7–8; Matthew 21:43; Romans 11:7; Romans 9:5
- 29 Numbers 23:19; Hebrews 7:21; Malachi 3:6; Romans 8:28; Hosea 13:14
- 30 Colossians 3:7; Ephesians 2:1–2; 1 Corinthians 7:25; Romans 11:31; Titus 3:3–7
- 31 Romans 11:25; Romans 11:15; Romans 10:16
- 32 Galatians 3:22; Romans 3:9; 1 Timothy 2:4–6; Romans 3:22; John 1:7
- 33 Job 5:9; Job 11:7–9; Psalm 92:5; Colossians 2:2–3; Romans 2:4
- 34 Isaiah 40:13; 1 Corinthians 2:16; Job 15:8; Job 36:22; Jeremiah 23:18
- 35 Job 41:11; Job 35:7; 1 Corinthians 4:7
- 36 Colossians 1:15–17; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Hebrews 2:10; 1 Timothy 1:17; Romans 16:27
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
He had said that God did not cast off His people; and to show in what sense He had not cast them off, he takes refuge in the Prophets again.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 11 (1889)
And that the Saviour received first-fruits of those whom He was to save, Paul declared when he said, "And if the first-fruits be holy, the lump is also holy," teaching that the expression "first-fruits" denoted that which is spiritual, but that "the lump" meant us, that is, the animal Church, the lump of which they say He assumed, and blended …
What was it that Thou didst then, O my God, and how unsearchable are the depths of Thy judgments! For when, sore sick of a fever, he long lay unconscious in a death-sweat, and all despaired of his recovery, he was baptized without his knowledge; myself meanwhile little caring, presuming that his soul would retain rather what it had imbibed …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
"But yet Paul," one may say, "allows them, saying on this wise, As touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sake.'" But tell me, when, and of what things was he discoursing, and to whom?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
Thou art transplanted henceforth among the spiritual olive-trees, being grafted from the wild into the good olive-tree, from sins into righteousness, from pollutions into purity.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)