Thematic Bible




Thematic Bible



And Abram is a son of ninety and nine years, and Jehovah appeareth unto Abram, and saith unto him, 'I am God Almighty, walk habitually before Me, and be thou perfect; and I give My covenant between Me and thee, and multiply thee very exceedingly.' And Abram falleth upon his face, and God speaketh with him, saying, read more.
I -- lo, My covenant is with thee, and thou hast become father of a multitude of nations; and thy name is no more called Abram, but thy name hath been Abraham, for father of a multitude of nations have I made thee; and I have made thee exceeding fruitful, and made thee become nations, and kings go out from thee. 'And I have established My covenant between Me and thee, and thy seed after thee, to their generations, for a covenant age-during, to become God to thee, and to thy seed after thee; and I have given to thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land of thy sojournings, the whole land of Canaan, for a possession age-during, and I have become their God.' And God saith unto Abraham, 'And thou dost keep My covenant, thou and thy seed after thee, to their generations; this is My covenant which ye keep between Me and you, and thy seed after thee: Every male of you is to be circumcised; and ye have circumcised the flesh of your foreskin, and it hath become a token of a covenant between Me and you. 'And a son of eight days is circumcised by you; every male to your generations, born in the house, or bought with money from any son of a stranger, who is not of thy seed; he is certainly circumcised who is born in thine house, or bought with thy money; and My covenant hath become in your flesh a covenant age-during; and an uncircumcised one, a male, the flesh of whose foreskin is not circumcised, even that person hath been cut off from his people; My covenant he hath broken.' And God saith unto Abraham, 'Sarai thy wife -- thou dost not call her name Sarai, for Sarah is her name; and I have blessed her, and have also given to thee a son from her; and I have blessed her, and she hath become nations -- kings of peoples are from her.' And Abraham falleth upon his face, and laugheth, and saith in his heart, 'To the son of an hundred years is one born? or doth Sarah -- daughter of ninety years -- bear?' And Abraham saith unto God, 'O that Ishmael may live before Thee;' and God saith, 'Sarah thy wife is certainly bearing a son to thee, and thou hast called his name Isaac, and I have established My covenant with him, for a covenant age-during, to his seed after him. As to Ishmael, I have heard thee; lo, I have blessed him, and made him fruitful, and multiplied him, very exceedingly; twelve princes doth he beget, and I have made him become a great nation; and My covenant I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah doth bear to thee at this appointed time in the next year;' and He finisheth speaking with him, and God goeth up from Abraham.

Thou givest truth to Jacob, kindness to Abraham, That thou hast sworn to our fathers, from the days of antiquity!


For not through law is the promise to Abraham, or to his seed, of his being heir of the world, but through the righteousness of faith;

And I say Jesus Christ to have become a ministrant of circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises to the fathers,

For to Abraham God, having made promise, seeing He was able to swear by no greater, did swear by Himself, saying, 'Blessing indeed I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee;'

according as Abraham did believe God, and it was reckoned to him -- to righteousness; know ye, then, that those of faith -- these are sons of Abraham, and the Writing having foreseen that by faith God doth declare righteous the nations did proclaim before the good news to Abraham -- read more.
'Blessed in thee shall be all the nations;' so that those of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham, for as many as are of works of law are under a curse, for it hath been written, 'Cursed is every one who is not remaining in all things that have been written in the Book of the Law -- to do them,' and that in law no one is declared righteous with God, is evident, because 'The righteous by faith shall live;' and the law is not by faith, but -- 'The man who did them shall live in them.' Christ did redeem us from the curse of the law, having become for us a curse, for it hath been written, 'Cursed is every one who is hanging on a tree,' that to the nations the blessing of Abraham may come in Christ Jesus, that the promise of the Spirit we may receive through the faith. Brethren, as a man I say it, even of man a confirmed covenant no one doth make void or doth add to, and to Abraham were the promises spoken, and to his seed; He doth not say, 'And to seeds,' as of many, but as of one, 'And to thy seed,' which is Christ; and this I say, A covenant confirmed before by God to Christ, the law, that came four hundred and thirty years after, doth not set aside, to make void the promise, for if by law be the inheritance, it is no more by promise, but to Abraham through promise did God grant it.


for it hath been written, that Abraham had two sons, one by the maid-servant, and one by the free-woman, but he who is of the maid-servant, according to flesh hath been, and he who is of the free-woman, through the promise; which things are allegorized, for these are the two covenants: one, indeed, from mount Sinai, to servitude bringing forth, which is Hagar; read more.
for this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and doth correspond to the Jerusalem that now is, and is in servitude with her children, and the Jerusalem above is the free-woman, which is mother of us all, for it hath been written, 'Rejoice, O barren, who art not bearing; break forth and cry, thou who art not travailing, because many are the children of the desolate -- more than of her having the husband.' And we, brethren, as Isaac, are children of promise, but as then he who was born according to the flesh did persecute him according to the spirit, so also now; but what saith the Writing? 'Cast forth the maid-servant and her son, for the son of the maid-servant may not be heir with the son of the free-woman;' then, brethren, we are not a maid-servant's children, but the free-woman's.



What, then, shall we say Abraham our father, to have found, according to flesh? for if Abraham by works was declared righteous, he hath to boast -- but not before God; for what doth the writing say? 'And Abraham did believe God, and it was reckoned to him -- to righteousness;' read more.
and to him who is working, the reward is not reckoned of grace, but of debt; and to him who is not working, and is believing upon Him who is declaring righteous the impious, his faith is reckoned -- to righteousness: even as David also doth speak of the happiness of the man to whom God doth reckon righteousness apart from works: 'Happy they whose lawless acts were forgiven, and whose sins were covered; happy the man to whom the Lord may not reckon sin.' Is this happiness, then, upon the circumcision, or also upon the uncircumcision -- for we say that the faith was reckoned to Abraham -- to righteousness? how then was it reckoned? he being in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision; and a sign he did receive of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith in the uncircumcision, for his being father of all those believing through uncircumcision, for the righteousness also being reckoned to them, and father of circumcision to those not of circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of the faith, that is in the uncircumcision of our father Abraham. For not through law is the promise to Abraham, or to his seed, of his being heir of the world, but through the righteousness of faith; for if they who are of law are heirs, the faith hath been made void, and the promise hath been made useless; for the law doth work wrath; for where law is not, neither is transgression. Because of this it is of faith, that it may be according to grace, for the promise being sure to all the seed, not to that which is of the law only, but also to that which is of the faith of Abraham, who is father of us all (according as it hath been written -- 'A father of many nations I have set thee,') before Him whom he did believe -- God, who is quickening the dead, and is calling the things that be not as being. Who, against hope in hope did believe, for his becoming father of many nations according to that spoken: 'So shall thy seed be;' and not having been weak in the faith, he did not consider his own body, already become dead, (being about a hundred years old,) and the deadness of Sarah's womb, and at the promise of God did not stagger in unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, having given glory to God, and having been fully persuaded that what He hath promised He is able also to do: wherefore also it was reckoned to him to righteousness.

according as Abraham did believe God, and it was reckoned to him -- to righteousness; know ye, then, that those of faith -- these are sons of Abraham, and the Writing having foreseen that by faith God doth declare righteous the nations did proclaim before the good news to Abraham -- read more.
'Blessed in thee shall be all the nations;' so that those of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham,

By faith Abraham, being called, did obey, to go forth to the place that he was about to receive for an inheritance, and he went forth, not knowing whither he doth go; by faith he did sojourn in the land of the promise as a strange country, in tabernacles having dwelt with Isaac and Jacob, fellow-heirs of the same promise, for he was looking for the city having the foundations, whose artificer and constructor is God.

By faith Abraham hath offered up Isaac, being tried, and the only begotten he did offer up who did receive the promises, of whom it was said -- 'In Isaac shall a seed be called to thee;' reckoning that even out of the dead God is able to raise up, whence also in a figure he did receive him.

Abraham our father -- was not he declared righteous out of works, having brought up Isaac his son upon the altar? dost thou see that the faith was working with his works, and out of the works the faith was perfected? and fulfilled was the Writing that is saying, 'And Abraham did believe God, and it was reckoned to him -- to righteousness;' and, 'Friend of God' he was called. read more.
Ye see, then, that out of works is man declared righteous, and not out of faith only;


And Jehovah saith unto Abram, 'Go for thyself, from thy land, and from thy kindred, and from the house of thy father, unto the land which I shew thee. And I make thee become a great nation, and bless thee, and make thy name great; and be thou a blessing. And I bless those blessing thee, and him who is disesteeming thee I curse, and blessed in thee have been all families of the ground.'

and Abraham certainly becometh a nation great and mighty, and blessed in him have been all nations of the earth?

And the messenger of Jehovah calleth unto Abraham a second time from the heavens, and saith, 'By Myself I have sworn -- the affirmation of Jehovah -- that because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only one -- that blessing I bless thee, and multiplying I multiply thy seed as stars of the heavens, and as sand which is on the sea-shore; and thy seed doth possess the gate of his enemies; read more.
and blessed themselves in thy seed have all nations of the earth, because that thou hast hearkened to My voice.'

sojourn in this land, and I am with thee, and bless thee, for to thee and to thy seed I give all these lands, and I have established the oath which I have sworn to Abraham thy father; and I have multiplied thy seed as stars of the heavens, and I have given to thy seed all these lands; and blessed themselves in thy seed have all nations of the earth;


according as Abraham did believe God, and it was reckoned to him -- to righteousness; know ye, then, that those of faith -- these are sons of Abraham, and the Writing having foreseen that by faith God doth declare righteous the nations did proclaim before the good news to Abraham --



A wicked messenger falleth into evil, And a faithful ambassador is healing.


As a vessel of snow in a day of harvest, So is a faithful ambassador to those sending him, And the soul of his masters he refresheth.

for verily I say to you, that whoever may say to this mount, Be taken up, and be cast into the sea, and may not doubt in his heart, but may believe that the things that he saith do come to pass, it shall be to him whatever he may say.


He who is faithful in the least, is also faithful in much; and he who in the least is unrighteous, is also unrighteous in much; if, then, in the unrighteous mammon ye became not faithful -- the true who will entrust to you? and if in the other's ye became not faithful -- your own, who shall give to you?

according as Abraham did believe God, and it was reckoned to him -- to righteousness; know ye, then, that those of faith -- these are sons of Abraham,


And there were gathered together the apostles and the elders, to see about this matter, and there having been much disputing, Peter having risen up said unto them, 'Men, brethren, ye know that from former days, God among us did make choice, through my mouth, for the nations to hear the word of the good news, and to believe; and the heart-knowing God did bare them testimony, having given to them the Holy Spirit, even as also to us, read more.
and did put no difference also between us and them, by the faith having purified their hearts; now, therefore, why do ye tempt God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? but, through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we believe to be saved, even as also they.'

And not being agreed with one another, they were going away, Paul having spoken one word -- 'Well did the Holy Spirit speak through Isaiah the prophet unto our fathers, saying, Go on unto this people and say, With hearing ye shall hear, and ye shall not understand, and seeing ye shall see, and ye shall not perceive, for made gross was the heart of this people, and with the ears they heard heavily, and their eyes they did close, lest they may see with the eyes, and with the heart may understand, and be turned back, and I may heal them. read more.
'Be it known, therefore, to you, that to the nations was sent the salvation of God, these also will hear it;'

What, then, shall we say? that nations who are not pursuing righteousness did attain to righteousness, and righteousness that is of faith, and Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, at a law of righteousness did not arrive; wherefore? because -- not by faith, but as by works of law; for they did stumble at the stone of stumbling, read more.
according as it hath been written, 'Lo, I place in Sion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence; and every one who is believing thereon shall not be ashamed.'

I say, then, Did God cast away His people? let it not be! for I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin: God did not cast away His people whom He knew before; have ye not known -- in Elijah -- what the Writing saith? how he doth plead with God concerning Israel, saying, 'Lord, Thy prophets they did kill, and Thy altars they dug down, and I was left alone, and they seek my life;' read more.
but what saith the divine answer to him? 'I left to Myself seven thousand men, who did not bow a knee to Baal.' So then also in the present time a remnant according to the choice of grace there hath been; and if by grace, no more of works, otherwise the grace becometh no more grace; and if of works, it is no more grace, otherwise the work is no more work. What then? What Israel doth seek after, this it did not obtain, and the chosen did obtain, and the rest were hardened, according as it hath been written, 'God gave to them a spirit of deep sleep, eyes not to see, and ears not to hear,' -- unto this very day, and David saith, 'Let their table become for a snare, and for a trap, and for a stumbling-block, and for a recompense to them; let their eyes be darkened -- not to behold, and their back do Thou always bow down.' I say, then, Did they stumble that they might fall? let it not be! but by their fall the salvation is to the nations, to arouse them to jealousy; and if the fall of them is the riches of a world, and the diminution of them the riches of nations, how much more the fulness of them? For to you I speak -- to the nations -- inasmuch as I am indeed an apostle of nations, my ministration I do glorify; if by any means I shall arouse to jealousy mine own flesh, and shall save some of them, for if the casting away of them is a reconciliation of the world, what the reception -- if not life out of the dead? and if the first-fruit is holy, the lump also; and if the root is holy, the branches also. And if certain of the branches were broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wast graffed in among them, and a fellow-partaker of the root and of the fatness of the olive tree didst become -- do not boast against the branches; and if thou dost boast, thou dost not bear the root, but the root thee! Thou wilt say, then, 'The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in;' right! by unbelief they were broken off, and thou hast stood by faith; be not high-minded, but be fearing; for if God the natural branches did not spare -- lest perhaps He also shall not spare thee. Lo, then, goodness and severity of God -- upon those indeed who fell, severity; and upon thee, goodness, if thou mayest remain in the goodness, otherwise, thou also shalt be cut off. And those also, if they may not remain in unbelief, shall be graffed in, for God is able again to graff them in; for if thou, out of the olive tree, wild by nature, wast cut out, and, contrary to nature, wast graffed into a good olive tree, how much rather shall they, who are according to nature, be graffed into their own olive tree? For I do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, of this secret -- that ye may not be wise in your own conceits -- that hardness in part to Israel hath happened till the fulness of the nations may come in; and so all Israel shall be saved, according as it hath been written, 'There shall come forth out of Sion he who is delivering, and he shall turn away impiety from Jacob, and this to them is the covenant from Me, when I may take away their sins.' As regards, indeed, the good tidings, they are enemies on your account; and as regards the choice -- beloved on account of the fathers; for unrepented of are the gifts and the calling of God; for as ye also once did not believe in God, and now did find kindness by the unbelief of these: so also these now did not believe, that in your kindness they also may find kindness; for God did shut up together the whole to unbelief, that to the whole He might do kindness.

according as Abraham did believe God, and it was reckoned to him -- to righteousness; know ye, then, that those of faith -- these are sons of Abraham, and the Writing having foreseen that by faith God doth declare righteous the nations did proclaim before the good news to Abraham -- read more.
'Blessed in thee shall be all the nations;' so that those of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham, for as many as are of works of law are under a curse, for it hath been written, 'Cursed is every one who is not remaining in all things that have been written in the Book of the Law -- to do them,' and that in law no one is declared righteous with God, is evident, because 'The righteous by faith shall live;' and the law is not by faith, but -- 'The man who did them shall live in them.' Christ did redeem us from the curse of the law, having become for us a curse, for it hath been written, 'Cursed is every one who is hanging on a tree,' that to the nations the blessing of Abraham may come in Christ Jesus, that the promise of the Spirit we may receive through the faith.


by faith a better sacrifice did Abel offer to God than Cain, through which he was testified to be righteous, God testifying of his gifts, and through it, he being dead, doth yet speak.



and 'the righteous by faith shall live,' and 'if he may draw back, My soul hath no pleasure in him,'


for what doth the writing say? 'And Abraham did believe God, and it was reckoned to him -- to righteousness;'



'And I say to you, that every idle word that men may speak, they shall give for it a reckoning in a day of judgment; for from thy words thou shalt be declared righteous, and from thy words thou shalt be declared unrighteous.'

according as Abraham did believe God, and it was reckoned to him -- to righteousness; know ye, then, that those of faith -- these are sons of Abraham, and the Writing having foreseen that by faith God doth declare righteous the nations did proclaim before the good news to Abraham -- read more.
'Blessed in thee shall be all the nations;' so that those of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham, for as many as are of works of law are under a curse, for it hath been written, 'Cursed is every one who is not remaining in all things that have been written in the Book of the Law -- to do them,' and that in law no one is declared righteous with God, is evident, because 'The righteous by faith shall live;' and the law is not by faith, but -- 'The man who did them shall live in them.' Christ did redeem us from the curse of the law, having become for us a curse, for it hath been written, 'Cursed is every one who is hanging on a tree,' that to the nations the blessing of Abraham may come in Christ Jesus, that the promise of the Spirit we may receive through the faith.

therefore do we reckon a man to be declared righteous by faith, apart from works of law. The God of Jews only is He, and not also of nations? yes, also of nations; since one is God who shall declare righteous the circumcision by faith, and the uncircumcision through the faith.

And dost thou wish to know, O vain man, that the faith apart from the works is dead? Abraham our father -- was not he declared righteous out of works, having brought up Isaac his son upon the altar? dost thou see that the faith was working with his works, and out of the works the faith was perfected? read more.
and fulfilled was the Writing that is saying, 'And Abraham did believe God, and it was reckoned to him -- to righteousness;' and, 'Friend of God' he was called. Ye see, then, that out of works is man declared righteous, and not out of faith only; and in like manner also Rahab the harlot -- was she not out of works declared righteous, having received the messengers, and by another way having sent forth?



There is, then, now no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit; for the law of the Spirit of the life in Christ Jesus did set me free from the law of the sin and of the death; for what the law was not able to do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, His own Son having sent in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, did condemn the sin in the flesh, read more.
that the righteousness of the law may be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.



God hath in full completed this to us their children, having raised up Jesus, as also in the second Psalm it hath been written, My Son thou art -- I to-day have begotten thee. And that He did raise him up out of the dead, no more to return to corruption, he hath said thus -- I will give to you the faithful kindnesses of David; wherefore also in another place he saith, Thou shalt not give Thy kind One to see corruption, read more.
for David, indeed, his own generation having served by the will of God, did fall asleep, and was added unto his fathers, and saw corruption, but he whom God did raise up, did not see corruption. 'Let it therefore be known to you, men, brethren, that through this one to you is the forgiveness of sins declared, and from all things from which ye were not able in the law of Moses to be declared righteous, in this one every one who is believing is declared righteous;

according as Abraham did believe God, and it was reckoned to him -- to righteousness; know ye, then, that those of faith -- these are sons of Abraham, and the Writing having foreseen that by faith God doth declare righteous the nations did proclaim before the good news to Abraham -- read more.
'Blessed in thee shall be all the nations;' so that those of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham, for as many as are of works of law are under a curse, for it hath been written, 'Cursed is every one who is not remaining in all things that have been written in the Book of the Law -- to do them,' and that in law no one is declared righteous with God, is evident, because 'The righteous by faith shall live;'

For the law having a shadow of the coming good things -- not the very image of the matters, every year, by the same sacrifices that they offer continually, is never able to make perfect those coming near, since, would they not have ceased to be offered, because of those serving having no more conscience of sins, having once been purified? but in those sacrifices is a remembrance of sins every year, read more.
for it is impossible for blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Wherefore, coming into the world, he saith, 'Sacrifice and offering Thou didst not will, and a body Thou didst prepare for me, in burnt-offerings, and concerning sin-offerings, Thou didst not delight, then I said, Lo, I come, (in a volume of the book it hath been written concerning me,) to do, O God, Thy will;' saying above -- 'Sacrifice, and offering, and burnt-offerings, and concerning sin-offering Thou didst not will, nor delight in,' -- which according to the law are offered -- then he said, 'Lo, I come to do, O God, Thy will;' he doth take away the first that the second he may establish; in the which will we are having been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once, and every priest, indeed, hath stood daily serving, and the same sacrifices many times offering, that are never able to take away sins. And He, for sin one sacrifice having offered -- to the end, did sit down on the right hand of God, -- as to the rest, expecting till He may place his enemies as his footstool, for by one offering he hath perfected to the end those sanctified; and testify to us also doth the Holy Spirit, for after that He hath said before,


And Jehovah saith unto Abram, 'Go for thyself, from thy land, and from thy kindred, and from the house of thy father, unto the land which I shew thee. And I make thee become a great nation, and bless thee, and make thy name great; and be thou a blessing. And I bless those blessing thee, and him who is disesteeming thee I curse, and blessed in thee have been all families of the ground.'

and Abraham certainly becometh a nation great and mighty, and blessed in him have been all nations of the earth?

And the messenger of Jehovah calleth unto Abraham a second time from the heavens, and saith, 'By Myself I have sworn -- the affirmation of Jehovah -- that because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only one -- that blessing I bless thee, and multiplying I multiply thy seed as stars of the heavens, and as sand which is on the sea-shore; and thy seed doth possess the gate of his enemies; read more.
and blessed themselves in thy seed have all nations of the earth, because that thou hast hearkened to My voice.'

sojourn in this land, and I am with thee, and bless thee, for to thee and to thy seed I give all these lands, and I have established the oath which I have sworn to Abraham thy father; and I have multiplied thy seed as stars of the heavens, and I have given to thy seed all these lands; and blessed themselves in thy seed have all nations of the earth;


according as Abraham did believe God, and it was reckoned to him -- to righteousness; know ye, then, that those of faith -- these are sons of Abraham, and the Writing having foreseen that by faith God doth declare righteous the nations did proclaim before the good news to Abraham --


And there were gathered together the apostles and the elders, to see about this matter, and there having been much disputing, Peter having risen up said unto them, 'Men, brethren, ye know that from former days, God among us did make choice, through my mouth, for the nations to hear the word of the good news, and to believe; and the heart-knowing God did bare them testimony, having given to them the Holy Spirit, even as also to us, read more.
and did put no difference also between us and them, by the faith having purified their hearts; now, therefore, why do ye tempt God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? but, through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we believe to be saved, even as also they.'

And not being agreed with one another, they were going away, Paul having spoken one word -- 'Well did the Holy Spirit speak through Isaiah the prophet unto our fathers, saying, Go on unto this people and say, With hearing ye shall hear, and ye shall not understand, and seeing ye shall see, and ye shall not perceive, for made gross was the heart of this people, and with the ears they heard heavily, and their eyes they did close, lest they may see with the eyes, and with the heart may understand, and be turned back, and I may heal them. read more.
'Be it known, therefore, to you, that to the nations was sent the salvation of God, these also will hear it;'

What, then, shall we say? that nations who are not pursuing righteousness did attain to righteousness, and righteousness that is of faith, and Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, at a law of righteousness did not arrive; wherefore? because -- not by faith, but as by works of law; for they did stumble at the stone of stumbling, read more.
according as it hath been written, 'Lo, I place in Sion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence; and every one who is believing thereon shall not be ashamed.'

I say, then, Did God cast away His people? let it not be! for I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin: God did not cast away His people whom He knew before; have ye not known -- in Elijah -- what the Writing saith? how he doth plead with God concerning Israel, saying, 'Lord, Thy prophets they did kill, and Thy altars they dug down, and I was left alone, and they seek my life;' read more.
but what saith the divine answer to him? 'I left to Myself seven thousand men, who did not bow a knee to Baal.' So then also in the present time a remnant according to the choice of grace there hath been; and if by grace, no more of works, otherwise the grace becometh no more grace; and if of works, it is no more grace, otherwise the work is no more work. What then? What Israel doth seek after, this it did not obtain, and the chosen did obtain, and the rest were hardened, according as it hath been written, 'God gave to them a spirit of deep sleep, eyes not to see, and ears not to hear,' -- unto this very day, and David saith, 'Let their table become for a snare, and for a trap, and for a stumbling-block, and for a recompense to them; let their eyes be darkened -- not to behold, and their back do Thou always bow down.' I say, then, Did they stumble that they might fall? let it not be! but by their fall the salvation is to the nations, to arouse them to jealousy; and if the fall of them is the riches of a world, and the diminution of them the riches of nations, how much more the fulness of them? For to you I speak -- to the nations -- inasmuch as I am indeed an apostle of nations, my ministration I do glorify; if by any means I shall arouse to jealousy mine own flesh, and shall save some of them, for if the casting away of them is a reconciliation of the world, what the reception -- if not life out of the dead? and if the first-fruit is holy, the lump also; and if the root is holy, the branches also. And if certain of the branches were broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wast graffed in among them, and a fellow-partaker of the root and of the fatness of the olive tree didst become -- do not boast against the branches; and if thou dost boast, thou dost not bear the root, but the root thee! Thou wilt say, then, 'The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in;' right! by unbelief they were broken off, and thou hast stood by faith; be not high-minded, but be fearing; for if God the natural branches did not spare -- lest perhaps He also shall not spare thee. Lo, then, goodness and severity of God -- upon those indeed who fell, severity; and upon thee, goodness, if thou mayest remain in the goodness, otherwise, thou also shalt be cut off. And those also, if they may not remain in unbelief, shall be graffed in, for God is able again to graff them in; for if thou, out of the olive tree, wild by nature, wast cut out, and, contrary to nature, wast graffed into a good olive tree, how much rather shall they, who are according to nature, be graffed into their own olive tree? For I do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, of this secret -- that ye may not be wise in your own conceits -- that hardness in part to Israel hath happened till the fulness of the nations may come in; and so all Israel shall be saved, according as it hath been written, 'There shall come forth out of Sion he who is delivering, and he shall turn away impiety from Jacob, and this to them is the covenant from Me, when I may take away their sins.' As regards, indeed, the good tidings, they are enemies on your account; and as regards the choice -- beloved on account of the fathers; for unrepented of are the gifts and the calling of God; for as ye also once did not believe in God, and now did find kindness by the unbelief of these: so also these now did not believe, that in your kindness they also may find kindness; for God did shut up together the whole to unbelief, that to the whole He might do kindness.

according as Abraham did believe God, and it was reckoned to him -- to righteousness; know ye, then, that those of faith -- these are sons of Abraham, and the Writing having foreseen that by faith God doth declare righteous the nations did proclaim before the good news to Abraham -- read more.
'Blessed in thee shall be all the nations;' so that those of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham, for as many as are of works of law are under a curse, for it hath been written, 'Cursed is every one who is not remaining in all things that have been written in the Book of the Law -- to do them,' and that in law no one is declared righteous with God, is evident, because 'The righteous by faith shall live;' and the law is not by faith, but -- 'The man who did them shall live in them.' Christ did redeem us from the curse of the law, having become for us a curse, for it hath been written, 'Cursed is every one who is hanging on a tree,' that to the nations the blessing of Abraham may come in Christ Jesus, that the promise of the Spirit we may receive through the faith.