1. Am I saying that God has turned his back on his people? Certainly not! I am one of the people of Israel, and I myself am a descendant of Abraham from the tribe of Benjamin.
2. God did not turn his back on his chosen people. Don't you remember reading in the Scriptures how Elijah complained to God about the people of Israel?
3. He said, “Lord, they killed your prophets and destroyed your altars. I am the only one left, and now they want to kill me.”
4. But the Lord told Elijah, “I still have seven thousand followers who have not worshipped Baal.”
5. It is the same way now. God was kind to the people of Israel, and so a few of them are still his followers.
6. This happened because of God's undeserved kindness and not because of anything they have done. It could not have happened except for God's kindness.
7. This means that only a chosen few of the people of Israel found what all of them were searching for. And the rest of them were stubborn,
8. just as the Scriptures say,“God made them so stupidthat their eyes are blind,and their earsare still deaf.”
9. Then David said,“Turn their mealsinto bait for a trap,so that they will stumbleand be givenwhat they deserve.
10. Blindfold their eyes!Don't let them see.Bend their backsbeneath a burdenthat will never be lifted.”
11. Do I mean that the people of Israel fell, never to get up again? Certainly not! Their failure made it possible for the Gentiles to be saved, and this will make the people of Israel jealous.
12. But if the rest of the world's people were helped so much by Israel's sin and loss, they will be helped even more by their full return.
13. I am now speaking to you Gentiles, and as long as I am an apostle to you, I will take pride in my work.