10 My Christian friends, I want God to save Israel's people. I want that very much. I pray to God that he will save them. 2 I can say this about them: They really want to serve God well. But they do not understand the right way to do this. 3 They have not understood the way that God accepts people. Instead, they tried to make their own way to become right with God. They refused to accept God's way that would make them right with him. 4 God gave his Law to Israel's people for a purpose. But Christ has finished that purpose. So now, every person who believes in Christ becomes right with God.
5 Moses wrote about how God's Law could help people to be right with God. He said, ‘If a person obeys the rules in God's Law, then he will live by them.’ [ a ] 6 But the Bible speaks also about another way. It shows how to become right with God because you trust him. It says: ‘Do not say to yourself, “Someone will have to go up into heaven.” ’ (That means: ‘Someone will have to bring Christ down from up there.’) 7 ‘Do not say to yourself either, “Someone will have to go down into the world below.” ’ (That means: ‘Someone will have to bring Christ up from the place where dead people are.’) 8 But the Bible says: ‘God's message is near you. You can talk about it, and you can think about it.’ [ b ] That is the same message that we are teaching to people. We tell people to believe in Jesus Christ.
9 The message is this: You must say clearly that Jesus is the Lord. Also, you must believe deep inside yourself that God raised him to life again after his death. Then God will save you. 10 God accepts people as right with him when they believe like that, deep inside themselves. And when people say clearly that Jesus is Lord, God saves them. 11 It says in the Bible:
‘Everyone who believes in him will not be disappointed.’ [ c ]
12 It says ‘everyone’. There is no difference between Jews and Gentiles. There is the same Lord for all of them. He helps everyone who asks him with many good things. 13 As it says in the Bible: ‘The Lord God will save everyone who asks him for help.’ [ d ]
14 But people will never ask Christ to help them if they have not believed in him. And they will never believe in him if they have not heard about him. And they will not hear about him unless somebody tells God's message to them. 15 And nobody can go to tell God's message to people unless God sends them. This is written in the Bible: ‘When people arrive to tell us good news, we say “welcome!” ’ [ e ]
16 But not every person who hears the good news obeys its message. Isaiah said this: ‘Lord God, it seems that nobody has believed our message.’ [ f ] 17 So then, people must hear the message before they can trust God. And people hear that message when someone tells them about Christ.
18 Let me ask you this: ‘Did Israel's people hear that message?’ They certainly did! The Bible says:
‘People have spoken God's message everywhere.
People have heard his message in every part of the world.’ [ g ]
19 So I ask this too: ‘When Israel's people heard God's message, did they understand it?’ First, think about what Moses wrote. God said to Israel's people:
‘I will make you jealous because of people who are not my people.
I will make you angry because of people who know nothing about me.’ [ h ]
20 Also, this is what Isaiah said very bravely:
‘God says: Those people who were not looking for me have found me.
I showed myself to people who were not even asking about me.’ [ i ]
21 But Isaiah says this about Israel's people:
‘God says: For a very long time,
I have been asking my people to return to me.
But they refused to obey me.
They turned against me.’ [ j ]
10 Brothers and sisters, what I want most is for all the people of Israel to be saved. That is my prayer to God. 2 I can say this about them: They really try hard to follow God, but they don’t know the right way. 3 They did not know the way that God makes people right with him. And they tried to make themselves right in their own way. So they did not accept God’s way of making people right. 4 Christ ended the law so that everyone who believes in him is made right with God.
5 Moses writes about being made right by following the law. He says, “The person who obeys these laws is the one who will have life through them.” [ a ] 6 But this is what the Scriptures say about being made right through faith: “Don’t say to yourself, ‘Who will go up into heaven?’” (This means “Who will go up to heaven to get Christ and bring him down to earth?”) 7 “And don’t say, ‘Who will go down into the world below?’” (This means “Who will go down to get Christ and bring him up from death?”)
8 This is what the Scripture says: “God’s teaching is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart.” [ b ] It is the teaching of faith that we tell people. 9 If you openly say, “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God raised him from death, you will be saved. 10 Yes, we believe in Jesus deep in our hearts, and so we are made right with God. And we openly say that we believe in him, and so we are saved.
11 Yes, the Scriptures say, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disappointed.” [ c ] 12 It says this because there is no difference between those who are Jews and those who are not. The same Lord is the Lord of all people. And he richly blesses everyone who looks to him for help. 13 Yes, “everyone who trusts in the Lord [ d ] will be saved.” [ e ]
14 But before people can pray to the Lord for help, they must believe in him. And before they can believe in the Lord, they must hear about him. And for anyone to hear about the Lord, someone must tell them. 15 And before anyone can go and tell them, they must be sent. As the Scriptures say, “How wonderful it is to see someone coming to tell good news!” [ f ]
16 But not all the people accepted that good news. Isaiah said, “Lord, who believed what we told them?” [ g ] 17 So faith comes from hearing the Good News. And people hear the Good News when someone tells them about Christ.
18 But I ask, “Did those people not hear the Good News?” Yes, they heard—as the Scriptures say,
“Their voices went out all around the world.
Their words went everywhere in the world.” ( A )
19 Again I ask, “Did the people of Israel not understand?” Yes, they did understand. First, Moses says this for God:
“I will use those who are not really a nation to make you jealous.
I will use a nation that does not understand to make you angry.” ( B )
20 Then Isaiah is bold enough to say this for God:
“The people who were not looking for me—
they are the ones who found me.
I made myself known to those who did not ask for me.” ( C )
21 But about the people of Israel God says,
“All day long I stood ready to accept those people,
but they are stubborn and refuse to obey me.” ( D )
10 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.
2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.
6 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)
7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)
8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
18 But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.
19 But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.
20 But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.
21 But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.
10 Brothers and sisters , my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. 2 For I testify about them that they have ( A ) a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. 3 For not knowing about ( B ) God’s righteousness and ( C ) seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. 4 For ( D ) Christ is the [ a ] end of the Law for righteousness to ( E ) everyone who believes.
5 For Moses writes of the righteousness that is [ b ] based on the Law, that the person who performs [ c ] them ( F ) will live by [ d ] them. 6 But ( G ) the righteousness [ e ] based on faith speaks as follows: “ ( H ) Do not say in your heart , ‘ Who will go up into heaven ?’ (that is, to bring Christ down), 7 or ‘Who will descend into the ( I ) abyss?’ (that is, to ( J ) bring Christ up from the dead).” 8 But what does it say? “ ( K ) The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart ”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, 9 [ f ] that ( L ) if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and ( M ) believe in your heart that ( N ) God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, [ g ] resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, [ h ] resulting in salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “ ( O ) Whoever believes in Him will not be [ i ] put to shame .” 12 For ( P ) there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is ( Q ) Lord of ( R ) all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; 13 for “ ( S ) Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved .”
14 How then are they to call on Him in whom they have not believed? How are they to believe in Him ( T ) whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear without ( U ) a preacher? 15 But how are they to preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written: “ ( V ) How beautiful are the feet of those who [ j ] ( W ) bring good news of good things !”
16 However, they ( X ) did not all heed the [ k ] good news; for Isaiah says, “ ( Y ) Lord, who has believed our report ?” 17 So faith comes from ( Z ) hearing, and hearing by ( AA ) the word [ l ] of Christ.
18 But I say, surely they have never heard, have they? On the contrary:
“ ( AB ) Their voice has gone out into all the earth ,
And their words to the ends of the [ m ] world .”
19 But I say, surely Israel did not know, did they? First Moses says,
“ ( AC ) I will ( AD ) make you jealous with those who are not a nation ,
With a foolish nation I will anger you .”
20 And Isaiah is very bold and says,
“ ( AE ) I was found by those who did not seek Me ,
I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me .”
21 But as for Israel, He says, “ ( AF ) I have spread out My hands all day long to a disobedient and obstinate people .”
10 Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire ( A ) and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. 2 For I can testify about them that they are zealous ( B ) for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. 3 Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. ( C ) 4 Christ is the culmination of the law ( D ) so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. ( E )
5 Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: “The person who does these things will live by them.” [ a ] ( F ) 6 But the righteousness that is by faith ( G ) says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” [ b ] ( H ) (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’” [ c ] ( I ) (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). ( J ) 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” [ d ] ( K ) that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: 9 If you declare ( L ) with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” ( M ) and believe ( N ) in your heart that God raised him from the dead, ( O ) you will be saved. ( P ) 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” [ e ] ( Q ) 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile ( R ) —the same Lord is Lord of all ( S ) and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord ( T ) will be saved.” [ f ] ( U )
14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” [ g ] ( V )
16 But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. ( W ) For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” [ h ] ( X ) 17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, ( Y ) and the message is heard through the word about Christ. ( Z ) 18 But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did:
19 Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says,
“I will make you envious ( AB ) by those who are not a nation;
I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding.” [ j ] ( AC )
20 And Isaiah boldly says,
“I was found by those who did not seek me;
I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me.” [ k ] ( AD )
21 But concerning Israel he says,
