Daily Bread

¹³ I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles,^(A) I take pride in my ministry ¹⁴ in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy^(B) and save^(C) some of them. ¹⁵ For if their rejection brought reconciliation^(D) to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?^{(E) 16} If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits^(F) is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.

¹⁷ If some of the branches have been broken off,^(G) and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others^(H) and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, ¹⁸ do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.^{(I) 19} You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” ²⁰ Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith.^(J) Do not be arrogant,^(K) but tremble.^{(L) 21} For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.

²² Consider therefore the kindness^(M) and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue^(N) in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.^{(O) 23} And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.^{(P) 24} After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree,^(Q) how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!