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11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid; but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.

12 Now, if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?

13 For I speak to you, Gentiles, in as much as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office;

14 If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.

15 For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?

16 For if the first-fruit be holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root be holy, so are the branches.

17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive-tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive

tree;

18 Boast not against the branches; but if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.

19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.

20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and

must not boast.

thou standest by faith. Be not high-minded, but fear:

21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.

22 Behold, therefore, the goodness and severity of God; on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness; otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in; for God is able to graff them in again.

24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive-tree, which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive-tree; how much more shall these, which be the nàtural branches, be graffed into their own olive-tree?

25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, (lest ye should be wise in your own conceits,) that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

26 And so all Israel shail be saved as it is written,f There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.

27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

28 As concerning the Gospel, they are enemies for your sakes; but as touching the election,

f As it is written, Isa. lix. 20.

God's judgments unsearch- Romans. able. Love recommended.

they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.

29 For the gifts & calling of God are without repentance. g 30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained merey through their unbelief;

31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they may obtain mercy.

32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. 33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!

34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor ?

35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?

36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things; to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

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ceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

2 And be not conformed to this world; but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfeet will of God.

3 For I say,through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office;

5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;

7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering; or he that teacheth, on teaching;

8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation; he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.

10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

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11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;

12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;

13 Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.

14 Bless them which persecute you; Bless, and curse not. 15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.

16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.

17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. 18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath;a for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

20 Therefore, if thine enemy langer, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink; for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.b

a Rather give place unto wrath, yield to the wrath of your enemies, without opposing it, or leave them to the wrath of God, whose prerogative alone it is, to repay.

b Thou shalt beap coals of fire on his bead; for in so doing, thou wilt soften him by thy kindness, and make him lay down the enmity, which he bears to thee.

28*

of the law, &c.

21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

CHAP. XIII.

1 Of duties to magistrates. 8 Love is the fulfilling of the law. 11 Against gluttony, drunkenness, and the works of darkness.

LET every soul be subject unto the higher powers; for there is no power but of God; the powers that be, are ordain, ed of God.

2 Whosoever, therefore, resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God; and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation;

3 For rulers are not a ter ror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:

4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain; for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him, that doeth evil.

5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience' sake.

6 For, for this cause pay ye tribute also; for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.

7 Render, therefore, to all their dues; tribute, to whom tribute is due; custom, to whom custom; fear, to whom fear; honour, to whom honour.

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8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another; for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, 'Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.a

12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand; let us, therefore, cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

13 Let us walk honestly as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying:

14 But put ye on the Lord a Than when we first believed.

of the law.

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1 Men may not contemn or condemn one another for things indifferent, 13 but take heed of giving offence in them. HIM that is weak in the faith a receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.b

2 For one believeth that he may eat all things; another, who is weak, eateth herbs.

3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not, judge him that eateth; for God hath received him.

4 Who art thou that judg est another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holdhim stand. en up; for God is able to make

5 One man esteemeth one day above another; another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the

a Weak in the faith, concerning meats and days.

b But not passionately to dispute his opinions. It may here be observed, that the Jewish converts at Rome supposed, that certain meats forbidden by Moses, were unclean in themselves, and that the days, which he ordered to be kept holy, were still to be sanctified; they therefore considered their Gentile brethren as profane; because they paid no religious regard to meats and days. On the other hand the Gentiles despised the Jews as bigots, for making distinctions of meats and days, which to them appeared unnecessary. St. Paul, therefore, wrote this chapter to conciliate the Jews and Gentiles, and to shew them, that neither meats nor days commended them to God; but still, that it was sinful for any man to eat or to do any thing, which he himself really thought was sinful.

Chap. xiv.

Of things Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.

7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.

8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord; whether we live, therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.

9 For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.

10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ.

11 For it is written, As I live saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

12 So then, every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

13 Let us not, therefore, judge one another any more; but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling-block, or an occasion to fall, in his bro

ther's way.

14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him that esteemeth

indifferent.

any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.

15 But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat for whom Christ died.

16 Let not then your good be evil spoken of;

17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

18 For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.

19 Let us, therefore, follow after the things that make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.

20 For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.c

21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth or is offended, or is made weak.

22 Hast thou faith? have

it to thyself before God. Hap

ру is he that condemneth not himself in that thing, which he alloweth.

23 And he that doubteth dis With offence, giving offence to others, or believing himself, that it is sinful.

d He that doubteth, whether it be

lawful to eat any thing, is condemned, or is guilty, if he does eat it. Whatever is done without a conviction of its lawfulness, is really sin, though in reality it be in itself lawful.

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