Romans 10
Expanded Bible
10 Brothers and sisters, the ·thing I want most [pleasure/desire of my heart] and my prayer to God is for ·all the Jews to be saved [L their salvation]. 2 ·I can say this about them [L For I testify about them that…]: They ·really try to follow God [L have a zeal for God], but ·they do not know the right way [their zeal is misguided/uninformed/undiscerning; L not according to knowledge]. 3 Because they ·did not know [or ignored] the ·way that God makes people right with him [righteousness of God], they ·tried to make themselves right in their own way [L sought to establish their own righteousness]. So they did not ·accept God’s way of making people right [L submit to God’s righteousness]. 4 [L For] Christ ·ended [is the end/culmination/fulfillment of] the law so that everyone who believes in him may ·be right with God [have righteousness].
5 [L For] Moses writes about ·being made right [the righteousness attained] by following the law. He says, “A person who ·obeys [L does] these things will live ·because of [or by means of] them [Lev. 18:5].” 6 But ·this is what the Scripture says about being made right through faith [L the righteousness by faith says; C righteousness is personified as speaking]: “Don’t say ·to yourself [L in your heart; Deut. 9:4], ‘Who will ·go up [ascend] into heaven [Deut. 30:12]?’” (That means, “Who will go up to heaven and bring Christ down to earth [C a reference to the Incarnation, Christ coming to earth as a human being]?”) 7 “And do not say, ‘Who will go down into the ·world below [or depths; or place of the dead; L abyss; Deut. 30:13; Ps. 107:26]?’” (That means, “Who will go down and bring Christ up from the dead?”) [C Such impossible tasks are not needed for our salvation, since Christ already did them for us.] 8 ·This is what the Scripture says [L But what does it say?]: “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart [Deut. 30:14; C God’s salvation has been brought near through Christ and is received by faith].” That is the ·teaching [message; word] of faith that we ·are telling [preach; proclaim]. 9 If you ·declare [confess] with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and if you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you will be saved. 10 [L For] We believe with our hearts, and so we ·are made right with God [are justified; receive righteousness]. And we ·declare [confess] with our mouths, ·and so we are saved [leading to salvation]. 11 As the Scripture says, “Anyone who ·trusts [believes] in him will never be ·disappointed [or put to shame; Is. 28:16].” 12 ·That Scripture says “anyone” because [L For] there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles. [L For; Because] The same Lord is the Lord of all and gives ·many blessings [generously; (spiritual) riches] to all who trust in him, 13 as the Scripture says, “Anyone who calls on the Lord will be saved [Joel 2:32].”
14 ·But before people can ask the Lord for help, they must believe in him [L How, then, can they call on one in whom they have not believed?]; and ·before they can believe in him, they must hear about him [L how can they believe in one of whom they have not heard?]; and ·for them to hear about the Lord, someone must tell them [L how can they hear without someone preaching to them?]; 15 and ·before someone can go and tell them, that person must be sent [L how can they preach unless they are sent?]. [L As] It is written, “How ·beautiful [or welcome; or timely] ·is the person [L are the feet of those] who comes ·to bring [proclaiming; preaching] good news [Is. 52:7].” 16 But not ·all the Jews [L everyone] ·accepted [heeded; obeyed] the good news. [L For] Isaiah said, “Lord, who believed ·what we told them [our message/report; Is. 53:1]?” 17 ·So [Thus; Consequently] faith comes from ·hearing the Good News [L hearing], and ·people hear the Good News [hearing comes; or the message/report arrives] ·when someone tells them [through the word/message] ·about [or proclaimed by; L of] Christ.
18 But I ask: Didn’t ·people [L they; C Israel] ·hear the Good News [L hear]? Yes, they heard—as the Scripture says:
“Their ·message [voice] went out to all the earth;
their words ·go everywhere on [L to the ends of] the world [Ps. 19:4].”
19 Again I ask: Didn’t ·the people of Israel [L Israel] understand? Yes, they did understand [C this sentence is implied, but not stated, in the Greek]. First, Moses says:
“I will use those who are not a nation [C the Gentiles] to make you jealous.
I will use a nation that ·does not understand [is foolish/senseless] to make you angry [Deut. 32:21].”
20 Then Isaiah is bold enough to say:
“I was found by those who were not ·asking me for help [seeking/looking for me].
I ·made myself known [revealed myself] to people who were not ·looking for [asking about/for] me [Is. 65:1].”
21 But about Israel ·God [or Isaiah; L he] says,
“All day long I ·stood ready to accept [L held out my hands to]
people who ·disobey [disbelieve] and are ·stubborn [defiant; rebellious; Is. 65:2].”
Romans 10
Christian Standard Bible
Righteousness by Faith Alone
10 Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God concerning them[a] is for their salvation. 2 I can testify about them that they have zeal for God,(A) but not according to knowledge. 3 Since they are ignorant of the righteousness of God(B) and attempted to establish their own righteousness, they have not submitted to God’s righteousness. 4 For Christ is the end[b] of the law for righteousness(C) to everyone who believes,(D) 5 since Moses writes about the righteousness that is from the law: The one who does these things will live by them.[c](E) 6 But the righteousness that comes from faith(F) speaks like this: Do not say in your heart, “Who will go up to heaven?”[d](G) that is, to bring Christ down 7 or, “Who will go down into the abyss?”[e](H) that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.(I) 8 On the contrary, what does it say? The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart.[f](J) This is the message of faith that we proclaim: 9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,”(K) and believe in your heart(L) that God raised him from the dead,(M) 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,[g](N) 12 since there is no distinction between Jew and Greek,(O) because the same Lord(P) of all(Q) richly blesses all who call on him. 13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.[h](R)
Israel’s Rejection of the Message
14 How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about him?(S) And how can they hear without a preacher?(T) 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful[i] are the feet of those who bring good news.[j](U) 16 But not all obeyed the gospel.(V) For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our message?[k](W) 17 So faith comes from what is heard,(X) and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.[l](Y) 18 But I ask, “Did they not hear?” Yes, they did:
19 But I ask, “Did Israel not understand?” First, Moses said,
I will make you jealous
of those who are not a nation;(AA)
I will make you angry by a nation
that lacks understanding.[n](AB)
20 And Isaiah says boldly,
I was found
by those who were not looking for me;
I revealed myself
to those who were not asking for me.[o](AC)
21 But to Israel he says, All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and defiant people.[p](AD)
Romans 10
English Standard Version
10 Brothers,[a] my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that (A)they have a zeal for God, (B)but not according to knowledge. 3 For, being ignorant of (C)the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. 4 For (D)Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.[b]
The Message of Salvation to All
5 For (E)Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that (F)the person who does the commandments shall live by them. 6 But (G)the righteousness based on faith says, (H)“Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the (I)abyss?’” (that is, (J)to 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 that we proclaim); 9 because, if (L)you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and (M)believe in your heart (N)that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, (O)“Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 (P)For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; (Q)for the same Lord is Lord of all, (R)bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For (S)“everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him (T)of whom they have never heard?[c] And how are they to hear (U)without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, (V)“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 16 But (W)they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, (X)“Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17 So (Y)faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
18 But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for
19 But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says,
(AB)“I will (AC)make you jealous of those who are not a nation;
with a (AD)foolish nation I will make you angry.”
20 Then Isaiah is so bold as to say,
(AE)“I have been found by those who did not seek me;
I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.”
21 But of Israel he says, (AF)“All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”
Footnotes
- Romans 10:1 Or Brothers and sisters
- Romans 10:4 Or end of the law, that everyone who believes may be justified
- Romans 10:14 Or him whom they have never heard
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
