Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience.

The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm brought he them out of it.

And when God removed him [from the throne of Israel] He raised up David to be their king. God said about him, 'I have found David, the son of Jesse, to be a man close to my heart [i.e., whom I loved very much] and he will do all that I want him to.'

Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:

When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

As John was completing his ministry he said [to the great crowds], 'Who do you people think I am? [No], I am not the Messiah. But look, Someone is coming [to Israel] after [I complete] my mission whose sandal straps I am not even worthy to unfasten.'

But when the seven days were near ended, the Jews that came from Asia seeing him in the temple, raised a tumult among the people, and laid hands on him, crying out, Men of Israel, help:

Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place.

For this cause, therefore, have I called for you, to see and to speak with you; for, on account of the hope of Israel, this chain, have I about me!

nor hight, nor depth, nor any other creature, will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. SECTION THIRD. God's Dealings with Israel as a People,

It is not, however, as though the word of God had failed; for, not all they who are of Israel, the same are Israel.

Isaiah, moreover, exclaimeth over Israel - Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, the remnant, shall be saved;

It is as Isaiah foretold,

“If the Lord of Hosts had not left us seed [future generations from which a believing remnant of Israelites came],
We would have become like Sodom, and would have resembled Gomorrah [totally rejected and destroyed]!”

Whereas, Israel, though in pursuit of a law of righteousness, unto a law, have not attained.

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.

Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.

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.

Whereas, regarding Israel, he saith - All day long, have I stretched forth my hands unto a people unyielding and contradicting.

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.

God hath not cast off his people, whom he fore approved. Or know ye not, in the account of Elijah what the scripture saith, when he intercedeth with God against Israel?

What then? That which Israel seeketh after, the same, it hath not obtained: - the election, however, have obtained it, and, the rest, have been hardened; -

I ask, then, have they stumbled in order to fall? Absolutely not! On the contrary, by their stumbling, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous.

Now if Israel’s transgression means riches for the world [at large] and their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment and reinstatement be!

If the first portion [of dough offered as the first fruits] is holy, so is the whole batch; and if the root (Abraham, the patriarchs) is holy, so are the branches (the Israelites).

For I wish not, ye should be ignorant, brethren, of this sacred secret, lest within yourselves ye be presumptuous, that, a hardening in part, hath befallen Israel, until, the full measure of the nations, shall 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;

Yes, I mean that Christ has become a servant to Israel to prove God's truthfulness, to make valid His promises to our forefathers,

See Israel after the flesh: do not those who take as food the offerings of the altar take a part in the altar?

But, if, the ministry of death, in letters engraven in stones, was brought into existence with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look steadfastly into the face of Moses, by reason of the glory of his face - which glory was to be done away,

Such being my hope then, I am quite frank and open ??13 not like Moses, who used to hang a veil over his face to keep the children of Israel from gazing at the last rays of a fading glory.

And are not just like Moses, who kept putting a veil upon his face, so that the sons of Israel should not look steadily unto the end of that which was to be done away.

Nevertheless, when Israel shall turn unto the Lord, the veil shall be taken away.

Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they descendants of Israel? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.

Now the mediator or go-between [in a transaction] is not [needed] for just one party; whereas God is only one [and was the only One giving the promise to Abraham, but the Law was a contract between two, God and Israel; its validity depended on both].

Now this woman, Hagar, is similar to Mount Sinai, in Arabia, and represents the present [earthly] Jerusalem [i.e., Israel], consisting of children in bondage [to the law of Moses].

Peace and mercy be upon all who walk by this rule [who discipline themselves and conduct their lives by this principle], and upon the [true] Israel of God (Jewish believers).

Remember, then, that once upon a time you Gentiles in the flesh, who are called 'the Uncircumcision' by that so-called 'Circumcision' which is itself the product of human hands in the flesh ??12 remember you were in those days outside Christ, aliens to the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the Promise, devoid of hope and God within the world.

That ye were, in that season, separate from Christ, alienated from the citizenship of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and godless in the world;

Therefore, it says [Psa. 68:18], "When He ascended on high [i.e., to heaven], He led a procession of captured prisoners [behind Him] [Note: This originally referred to God leading His people in triumph over Israel's enemies, but here is applied to Christ], and gave gifts to [various] people."

circumcised when I was eight days old, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews [an exemplary Hebrew]; as to the [observance of the] Law, a Pharisee;

no house is without a builder; now he that built the whole house of Israel is God.

Do not harden your hearts as [your fathers did] in the rebellion [of Israel at Meribah],
On the day of testing in the wilderness,

To use the words of Scripture-- 'If to-day you hear God's voice, harden not your hearts, as when Israel provoked me.'

So, as long as God's promise of entering into a state of rest with Him [still] remains, we should fear that someone among you will appear [in the end] to have fallen short of [attaining] it. [Note: In this section "entering into rest" refers to Israel entering Canaan (verses 6, 8) and to Christians entering heaven (verses 3, 9). The "Sabbath day rest" is represented as a type of both].

For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, That I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah;

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel After those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, And on their heart also will I write them: And I will be to them a God, And they shall be to me a people:

By faith Joseph, when his end was nigh, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.

esteeming the sufferings of Israel greater riches than the treasures of Egypt: for he had an eye to the reward.

By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood [on the doorposts], so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch them (the firstborn of Israel).

As there were false prophets among the people of Israel, there will likewise be false doctors among you, who by introducing pernicious sects, and by renouncing the Lord, who bought them, will bring upon themselves swift destruction.

But I have a few things against thee: that thou hast, there, they that maintain the doctrine of Balaam, which taught in Balak to put occasion of sin before the children of Israel, that they should eat of meat dedicated unto idols, and to commit fornication.

And I heard the number of those sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand sealed out of every tribe of the sons of Israel.

Then God's Temple in heaven was opened, and inside of it was seen the Chest containing God's Agreement [i.e., between Him and Israel]. [Immediately] there came lightning flashes, [loud] sounds, rumbling thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.

and had walls great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels: and names written, which are the twelve tribes of Israel: