And why? Simply because Israel has relied not on faith but on what they could do. They have stumbled over the stone that makes men stumble ??33 as it is written, Here I lay a stone in Sion that will make men stumble, even a rock to trip them up; but he who believes in Him will never be disappointed.

As it is written:

Look! I am putting a stone in Zion to stumble over
and a rock to trip over,
yet the one who believes on Him
will not be put to shame.

Brothers, my heart's good will goes out for them, and my prayer to God is that they may be saved.

For Moses writes about the righteousness that is from the law: The one who does these things will live by them.

But the righteousness that comes from faith speaks like this: Do not say in your heart, “Who will go up to heaven?” that is, to bring Christ down

or, “Who will go down into the abyss?” that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.

If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Now the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on Him will not be put to shame,

For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

How then will they call upon [him] in whom they have not believed? And how will they believe [in him] about whom they have not heard? And how will they hear about [him] without one who preaches [to them]?

And how will they preach, unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "How timely [are] the feet of those who bring good news of good things."

But, some will say, they have not all hearkened to the Good News. No, for Isaiah asks, "Lord, who has believed the Message they have heard from us?"

But I say: Hath, Israel, not come to know? First, Moses, saith - I, will provoke you to jealousy on account of a no-nation, on account of an undiscerning nation, will I make you very angry.

Then Isaiah broke out boldly and said, "I have been found by men who were not looking for me, I have shown myself to men who were not asking what my will was."

You will say then, hath God discarded his people? by no means. for I my self am an Israelite, of the posterity of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

But what say to him the intimations of divine will I have left to myself seven thousand men, who bent not the knee to Baal.

You will say then, "were they suffer'd to stumble meerly for their ruin?" no: but that thro' their fall, salvation might be offer'd to the Gentiles, in order to provoke their emulation.

Now if their stumbling brings riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full number bring!

I speak to you gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the gentiles I will magnify mine office

For if their rejection brings reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?

And if the first part of the dough is dedicated to God, the entire batch of dough will be also. And if the roots [of a tree] are dedicated to God, the branches will be also.

If, however, some of the branches, have been broken out, and, thou, being a wild olive hast been grafted in among them, and hast become a joint partaker of the root of the fatness of the olive,

Thou wilt say, then - Branches were broken out in order that, I, might he grafted in.

For, if, God, hath not spared, the natural branches, neither, thee, will he spare!

Therefore, consider God’s kindness and severity: severity toward those who have fallen but God’s kindness toward you—if you remain in His kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.

And even they, if they do not remain in unbelief, will be grafted in, because God has the power to graft them in again.

For, if, thou, out of the naturally wild olive was cut out, and, beyond nature, hast been engrafted into the good olive, how much rather, shall these, the natural branches be engrafted into their own olive tree?

So that you will not be conceited, brothers, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery: A partial hardening has come to Israel until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.

And, so, all Israel shall be saved: even as it is written - There shall have come out of Zion the Deliverer, - He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;

And this will be My covenant with them
when I take away their sins.

who hath given any thing to him, and he will repay it?

For this reason I make request to you, brothers, by the mercies of God, that you will give your bodies as a living offering, holy, pleasing to God, which is the worship it is right for you to give him.

Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

Never return injury for injury. Aim at doing what all men will recognize as honorable.

Do not give punishment for wrongs done to you, dear brothers, but give way to the wrath of God; for it is said in the holy Writings, Punishment is mine, I will give reward, says the Lord.

But if one who has hate for you is in need of food or of drink, give it to him, for in so doing you will put coals of fire on his head.

Let every one obey the supreme Authorities. For no Authority exists except by the will of God, and the existing Authorities have been appointed by God.

For which reason everyone who puts himself against the authority puts himself against the order of God: and those who are against it will get punishment for themselves.

For rulers are not a cause of fear to the good work but to the evil. If you would have no fear of the authority, do good and you will have praise;

If you love your neighbor, you will not do anything wrong to him. So, to love people is the way to fulfill [the requirements of] the law [See Matt. 22:39].

Let's behave decently, as people who live in the light of day. No wild parties, drunkenness, sexual immorality, promiscuity, quarreling, or jealousy!

The man who will eat anything must not look down on the man who abstains from some things, and the man who abstains from them must not criticize the one who does not, for God has accepted him.

Who are you to make yourself a judge of another man's servant? it is to his master that he is responsible for good or bad. Yes, his place will be safe, because the Lord is able to keep him from falling.

If we live, we live to be at the Lord's will. And if we die, we die at the Lord's will.

But you, why do you make yourself your brother's judge? or again, why have you no respect for your brother? because we will all have to take our place before God as our judge.

For it is said in the holy Writings, By my life, says the Lord, to me every knee will be bent, and every tongue will give worship to God.

So every one of us will have to give an account of himself to God.

now if your brother be endanger'd by your eating, you violate the obligations of love: for such a matter as eating, will you risk his life, for whom Christ died?

Let us, therefore, keep before us whatever will contribute to peace and the development of one another.

The faith which you have [that gives you freedom of choice], have as your own conviction before God [just keep it between yourself and God, seeking His will]. Happy is he who has no reason to condemn himself for what he approves.

And so that the Gentiles might give glory to God for his mercy; as it is said, For this reason I will give praise to you among the Gentiles, and I will make a song to your name.

And again Isaiah says, There will be the root of Jesse, and he who comes to be the ruler over the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles put their hope.

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

And I will keep myself from talking of anything but those things which Christ has done by me to put the Gentiles under his rule in word and in act,

My aim is to evangelize where Christ has not been named, so that I will not build on someone else’s foundation,

But as it is said in the holy Writings, They will see, to whom the news of him had not been given, and those to whose ears it had not come will have knowledge.

But now having no longer place in these parts, and having had a great desire for many years to come to you, Whenever I go into Spain, I will come to you;

Whensoever I take my journey into Spain, I will come to you: for I trust to see you in my journey, and to be brought on my way thitherward by you, if first I be somewhat filled with your company.

So when I have done this, and have given them this fruit of love, I will go on by you into Spain.

And I am certain that when I come, I will be full of the blessing of Christ.

Now I make request to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the love of the Spirit, that you will be working together with me in your prayers to God for me;

to be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea [i.e., unbelieving Jews]. And [pray] that my service for Jerusalem [i.e., the offering for poor people. See verses 25-26] will be acceptable to God's people there.

In order that, with joy coming unto you through God's will, I may together with you find rest.

That you will take her in kindly, after the way of the saints, as one who is the Lord's, and give her help in anything in which she may have need of you: because she has been a help to a great number and to myself.

Now, it is my desire, brothers, that you will take note of those who are causing division and trouble among you, quite against the teaching which was given to you: and keep away from them.

And the God of peace will be crushing Satan under your feet before long. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

[i.e., so they will believe and obey the truth]. May it be so.