Romans 11:9-16

9King David says this: ‘They enjoy eating lots of good food together. I pray that God will catch them while they are eating! I want those good things to lead them into trouble. I want God to punish them because of what they have done.

10I want their eyes to become dark so that they cannot see. I want their bodies always to be in pain, like slaves.’

11So now I ask this: ‘When Israel's people failed to accept Jesus as God's Messiah, did they make themselves separate from God for ever?’ No, certainly that is not true! Because of their mistake, God is now saving Gentiles. God is doing that so that Israel's people would become jealous.

12Because of their mistake, God has done good things for everyone in the world. Israel's people failed to receive what God wanted to give them. As a result, the Gentiles have received very many good things from God. That was the good result when Israel's people failed. So, when the complete number of Israel's people do turn to God, the result will be even better!

13Now I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. God has sent me to be his apostle to the Gentiles. I thank him that he has given this important work to me.

14I hope that my work among you Gentiles will cause my own people to be jealous. As a result, some of them may turn to God, so that he saves them.

15When God turned away from Israel's people, he then accepted other people in the world as his friends. So, when God does accept Israel's people, the result will be even better! It will be like dead people who have become alive again!

16If you offer the first piece of bread to God, then all the bread will belong to God. If the roots of a tree belong to God, then the branches will also be his.