But about Israel he says, “All day long I held out my hands to this disobedient and stubborn people!”

So I ask, God has not rejected his people, has he? Absolutely not! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.

“Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars; I alone am left and they are seeking my life!”

as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, to this very day.”

Now if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among them and participated in the richness of the olive root,

And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion; he will remove ungodliness from Jacob.

And do this because we know the time, that it is already the hour for us to awake from sleep, for our salvation is now nearer than when we became believers.

But you who eat vegetables only – why do you judge your brother or sister? And you who eat everything – why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.

For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will give praise to God.”

I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean in itself; still, it is unclean to the one who considers it unclean.

For even Christ did not please himself, but just as it is written, “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”

For everything that was written in former times was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and through encouragement of the scriptures we may have hope.

Now may the God of endurance and comfort give you unity with one another in accordance with Christ Jesus,

and thus the Gentiles glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Because of this I will confess you among the Gentiles, and I will sing praises to your name.”

For I will not dare to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in order to bring about the obedience of the Gentiles, by word and deed,

when I go to Spain. For I hope to visit you when I pass through and that you will help me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while.

Pray that I may be rescued from those who are disobedient in Judea and that my ministry in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints,

who risked their own necks for my life. Not only I, but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.

Also greet the church in their house. Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia.

Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, laborers in the Lord. Greet my dear friend Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord.