Repent or Perish

13 At that time,^(A) some people came and reported to him about the Galileans^(B) whose blood Pilate^(C) had mixed with their sacrifices. ² And he^[a] responded to them, “Do you think that these Galileans were more sinful than all the other Galileans because they suffered these things?^{(D) 3} No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as well. ⁴ Or those eighteen that the tower in Siloam^(E) fell on and killed—do you think they were more sinful than all the other people who live in Jerusalem? ⁵ No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as well.”

¹⁵ The Lord God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it. ¹⁶ And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree of the garden,^{(A) 17} but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.”^{(B) 18} Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper corresponding^(C) to him.” ¹⁹ The Lord God formed out of the ground every wild animal and every bird of the sky, and brought each to the man to see what he would call it.^(D) And whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. ²⁰ The man gave names to all the livestock, to the birds of the sky, and to every wild animal; but for the man^[a] no helper was found corresponding to him. ²¹ So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to come over the man,^(E) and he slept. God took one of his ribs and closed the flesh at that place. ²² Then the Lord God made the rib he had taken from the man into a woman and brought her to the man.^{(F) 23} And the man said:

²⁴ This is why a man leaves his father and mother and bonds with his wife, and they become one flesh.^{(H) 25} Both the man and his wife were naked, yet felt no shame.

Israel’s Present State

³⁰ What should we say then?^(A) Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained righteousness—namely the righteousness that comes from faith.^{(B) 31} But Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness,^(C) has not achieved the righteousness of the law.^{[a](D) 32} Why is that? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were by works.^[b] They stumbled over the stumbling stone.^{(E) 33} As it is written,

Righteousness by Faith Alone

10 Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God concerning them^[d] is for their salvation. ² I can testify about them that they have zeal for God,^(H) but not according to knowledge. ³ Since they are ignorant of the righteousness of God^(I) and attempted to establish their own righteousness, they have not submitted to God’s righteousness. ⁴ For Christ is the end^[e] of the law for righteousness^(J) to everyone who believes,^{(K) 5} since Moses writes about the righteousness that is from the law: The one who does these things will live by them.^{[f](L) 6} But the righteousness that comes from faith^(M) speaks like this: Do not say in your heart, “Who will go up to heaven?”^[g](N) that is, to bring Christ down ⁷ or, “Who will go down into the abyss?”^[h](O) that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.^{(P) 8} On the contrary, what does it say? The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart.^[i](Q) This is the message of faith that we proclaim: ⁹ If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,”^(R) and believe in your heart^(S) that God raised him from the dead,^(T) you will be saved. ¹⁰ One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. ¹¹ For the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on him will not be put to shame,^{[j](U) 12} since there is no distinction between Jew and Greek,^(V) because the same Lord^(W) of all^(X) richly blesses all who call on him. ¹³ For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.^[k](Y)