Envoys From Babylon^(A)

39 At that time Marduk-Baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon^(B) sent Hezekiah letters and a gift, because he had heard of his illness and recovery. ² Hezekiah received the envoys^(C) gladly and showed them what was in his storehouses—the silver, the gold,^(D) the spices, the fine olive oil—his entire armory and everything found among his treasures.^(E) There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them.

³ Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked, “What did those men say, and where did they come from?”

“From a distant land,^(F)” Hezekiah replied. “They came to me from Babylon.”

⁴ The prophet asked, “What did they see in your palace?”

“They saw everything in my palace,” Hezekiah said. “There is nothing among my treasures that I did not show them.”

⁵ Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word^(G) of the Lord Almighty: ⁶ The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your predecessors have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon.^(H) Nothing will be left, says the Lord. ⁷ And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood who will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.^(I)”

⁸ “The word of the Lord you have spoken is good,^(J)” Hezekiah replied. For he thought, “There will be peace and security in my lifetime.^(K)”

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,

²⁰ And Isaiah boldly says,

²¹ But concerning Israel he says,