10
1 Brothers,
my heart’s desire
and my prayer
to God is
for Israel, that
they may be
saved.
2 For
I testify about
them that they
have a zeal
for God, but
not according to
knowledge.
3 For
being ignorant of
God’s righteousness,
and seeking to
establish their
own righteousness,
they didn’t
subject themselves
to the
righteousness of
God.
4 For
Christ is the
fulfillment
of the law
for righteousness
to everyone who
believes.
5 For
Moses writes about
the righteousness
of the law, “The
one who does
them will live
by them.”
6 But
the righteousness
which is of
faith says this,
“Don’t say in
your heart, ‘Who
will ascend into
heaven?’
(that is, to
bring Christ down);
7 or, ‘Who
will descend into
the abyss?’
(that is, to
bring Christ up
from the dead.)”
8 But
what does it
say? “The word
is near you,
in your mouth
and in your
heart;”
that is, the
word of faith
which we preach:
9 that
if you will
confess with your
mouth that Jesus
is Lord and
believe in your
heart that God
raised him from
the dead, you
will be saved.
10 For
with the heart
one believes
resulting in
righteousness; and
with the
mouth confession is
made resulting in
salvation.
11 For
the Scripture says,
“Whoever believes
in him will
not be
disappointed.”
12 For
there is no
distinction between
Jew and Greek;
for the same
Lord is Lord
of all, and
is rich to
all who call
on him.
13 For, “Whoever
will call on
the name of
the Lord will
be saved.”
14 How
then will they
call on him
in whom they
have not believed?
How will they
believe in him
whom they have
not heard? How
will they hear
without a preacher?
15 And
how will they
preach unless they
are sent? As
it is written:
“How beautiful
are the feet
of those who
preach the Good
News of peace,
who bring glad
tidings of good
things!”
16 But
they didn’t
all listen to
the glad news. For
Isaiah says, “Lord,
who has believed
our report?”
17 So
faith comes by hearing,
and hearing by the
word of God.
18 But
I say, didn’t
they hear? Yes, most certainly,
“Their sound went
out into all
the earth,
their words to
the ends of
the world.”
19 But
I ask, didn’t
Israel know? First
Moses says,
“I will provoke
you to jealousy
with that which
is no nation.
I will make
you angry with a
nation void of understanding.”
20 Isaiah
is very bold and
says,
“I was found
by those
who didn’t seek
me.
I was revealed to
those who didn’t
ask for me.”
21 But
about Israel he
says, “All day
long I stretched
out my hands
to a disobedient
and contrary people.”