Psalm 118; Romans 11

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Psalm 118

His Steadfast Love Endures Forever

fOh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

for his steadfast love endures forever!

gLet Israel say,

His steadfast love endures forever.

gLet the house of Aaron say,

His steadfast love endures forever.

gLet those who fear the Lord say,

His steadfast love endures forever.

hOut of my distress I icalled on the Lord;

the Lord answered me and set me jfree.

kThe Lord is on my side; lI will not fear.

What can man do to me?

mThe Lord is on my side as my helper;

I shall nlook in triumph on those who hate me.

oIt is better to take refuge in the Lord

pthan to trust in man.

It is better to take refuge in the Lord

pthan to trust in princes.

10  qAll nations surrounded me;

in the name of the Lord I cut them off!

11  They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side;

in the name of the Lord I cut them off!

12  rThey surrounded me like bees;

they went out like sa fire among thorns;

in the name of the Lord I cut them off!

13  I was tpushed hard,1 so that I was falling,

but the Lord helped me.

14  The Lord is my strength and my song;

uhe has become my salvation.

15  Glad songs of salvation

are in the tents of the righteous:

vThe right hand of the Lord wdoes valiantly,

16  the right hand of the Lord exalts,

the right hand of the Lord wdoes valiantly!

17  xI shall not die, but I shall live,

and yrecount the deeds of the Lord.

18  The Lord has zdisciplined me severely,

but he has not given me over to death.

19  aOpen to me the gates of righteousness,

that I may enter through them

and give thanks to the Lord.

20  This is the gate of the Lord;

bthe righteous shall enter through it.

21  I thank you that cyou have answered me

uand have become my salvation.

22  dThe stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone.2

23  This is the Lord’s doing;

it is marvelous in our eyes.

24  This is the day that the Lord has made;

let us rejoice and be glad in it.

25  Save us, we pray, O Lord!

O Lord, we pray, give us success!

26  eBlessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

We fbless you from the house of the Lord.

27  The Lord is God,

and he has made ghis light to shine upon us.

Bind the festal sacrifice with cords,

up to hthe horns of the altar!

28  You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;

you are my God; I will iextol you.

29  jOh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

for his steadfast love endures forever!


Romans 11

The Remnant of Israel

I ask, then, hhas God rejected his people? By no means! For iI myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham,1 a member of the tribe of Benjamin. jGod has not rejected his people whom he kforeknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? lLord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life. But what is God’s reply to him? mI have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal. So too at the present time there is na remnant, chosen by grace. oBut if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.

What then? pIsrael failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest qwere hardened, as it is written,

rGod gave them a spirit of stupor,

seyes that would not see

and ears that would not hear,

down to this very day.

And David says,

tLet their table become a snare and a trap,

a stumbling block and a retribution for them;

10  let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see,

and bend their backs forever.

Gentiles Grafted In

11 So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass usalvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. 12 Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion2 mean!

13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as vI am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry 14 in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and wthus save some of them. 15 For if their rejection means xthe reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? 16 yIf the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches.

17 But if zsome of the branches were broken off, and you, aalthough a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root3 of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. 19 Then you will say, Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in. 20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you bstand fast through faith. So cdo not become proud, but dfear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, eprovided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise fyou too will be cut off. 23 And geven they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power 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 olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.

The Mystery of Israel’s Salvation

25 hLest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers:4 ia partial hardening has come upon Israel, juntil the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,

kThe Deliverer will come lfrom Zion,

he will banish ungodliness from Jacob;

27  and this will be my mcovenant with them

nwhen I take away their sins.

28 As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are obeloved for the sake of their forefathers. 29 For the gifts and pthe calling of God are irrevocable. 30 For just as qyou were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now5 receive mercy. 32 For God rhas consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.

33 Oh, the depth of the riches and swisdom and knowledge of God! tHow unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

34  For uwho has known the mind of the Lord,

or vwho has been his counselor?

35  Or wwho has given a gift to him

that he might be repaid?

36 For xfrom him and through him and to him are all things. yTo him be glory forever. Amen.