Romans 10
New King James Version
Israel Needs the Gospel
10 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for [a]Israel is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness (A)that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of (B)God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own (C)righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. 4 For (D)Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
5 For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, (E)“The man who does those things shall live by them.” 6 But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, (F)“Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down from above) 7 or, (G)“ ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? (H)“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that (I)if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, (J)“Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 12 For (K)there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for (L)the same Lord over all (M)is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For (N)“whoever calls (O)on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Israel Rejects the Gospel
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 (P)without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:
(Q)“How beautiful are the feet of those who [b]preach the gospel of peace,
Who bring glad tidings of good things!”
16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, (R)“Lord, who has believed our report?” 17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
18 But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed:
(S)“Their sound has gone out to all the earth,
And their words to the ends of the world.”
19 But I say, did Israel not know? First Moses says:
(T)“I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation,
I will move you to anger by a (U)foolish nation.”
20 But Isaiah is very bold and says:
(V)“I was found by those who did not seek Me;
I was made manifest to those who did not ask for Me.”
21 But to Israel he says:
(W)“All day long I have stretched out My hands
To a disobedient and contrary people.”
Footnotes
- Romans 10:1 NU them
- Romans 10:15 NU omits preach the gospel of peace, Who
Romans 10
Disciples’ Literal New Testament
Israel’s Zeal Is Not In Accordance With Knowledge
10 Brothers, my heart’s desire and petition to God for them is for their salvation. 2 For I testify concerning them that they have a zeal for God— but not in-accordance-with knowledge.
For They Are Ignorant of The Source of True Righteousness
3 For being-ignorant-of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. 4 For[a] Christ is the end[b] of the Law for[c] righteousness for everyone believing.
The Law Requires Performance; True Righteousness Comes By Faith In Christ
5 For Moses writes [in Lev 18:5] as to the righteousness of the Law that “The person having done them will live by them”. 6 But the righteousness of faith speaks[d] as follows: “Do not say in your heart, “Who will go up into heaven?”, that is, to bring[e] Christ down, 7 or “who will go down into the abyss?”, that is, to bring[f] 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 [g] faith which we are proclaiming, 9 that[h] if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and you believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is believed with the heart resulting-in righteousness, and it is confessed with the mouth resulting in salvation.
The Scripture Says Faith Leads To Salvation For Both Jew And Greek
11 For the Scripture says [in Isa 28:16] “everyone putting-faith upon Him will not be put-to-shame”. 12 For there is no distinction between both Jew and Greek— for the same Lord is Lord of all, being rich toward all the ones calling-upon Him. 13 For “everyone who calls-upon the name of the Lord will be saved” [Joel 2:32].
This Is Why God Sent Forth His Messengers With The Report About Christ
14 How then[i] may they[j] call-upon the One in Whom they did not believe? And how may they believe the One Whom[k] they did not hear? And how may they hear without one proclaiming? 15 And how may they proclaim if they are not sent-forth?— just as it has been written[l] [in Isa 52:7]: “How beautiful are the feet of the ones announcing-good-news-of good things!” 16 But[m] they did not all obey the good-news, for Isaiah says [in Isa 53:1], “Lord, who put-faith-in our report?” 17 So[n] the faith[o] comes from a report-hearing[p], and the report-hearing through a word[q] about[r] Christ.
But It Is Not As Though Israel Did Not Hear
18 But I say[s]— it is not that they did not hear[t], is it ? On the contrary: “Their voice went-out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world” [Ps 19:4].
And It Is Not As Though Israel Did Not Know
19 But I say— it is not that Israel did not know[u], is it ? First, Moses says [in Deut 32:21] “I will provoke you to jealousy over what is not a nation. I will provoke you to anger over a nation without-understanding[v]”. 20 And Isaiah is very-bold and says [in Isa 65:1] “I was found by the ones not seeking Me. I became visible[w] to the ones not asking-for Me”. 21 But with-regard-to Israel He says [in Isa 65:2], “I held-out[x] My hands the whole day toward a disobeying[y] and contradicting[z] people”.
Footnotes
- Romans 10:4 This sentence summarizes the heart of their ignorance, the relationship between Christ, Law, righteousness, faith, and works.
- Romans 10:4 Or, fulfillment, completion, termination, goal.
- Romans 10:4 Paul may mean ‘for purposes of righteousness’; or, ‘so that there may be righteousness’.
- Romans 10:6 In what follows, Paul uses phrases from Deut 30:11-14 to help describe God’s saving process, explaining his current application of each.
- Romans 10:6 The righteousness by faith does not ask who will bring the Messiah down from heaven, because He has already come.
- Romans 10:7 Nor does it ask who will bring Him back from the dead, because He has already been raised.
- Romans 10:8 That is, about, producing, calling for.
- Romans 10:9 This gives the content of the word of faith. Or, because, explaining why the righteousness of faith says this word is near.
- Romans 10:14 Paul now traces out the logical implications of the Scriptures just quoted. They imply that the response of faith is made to a message proclaimed to everyone by ones sent forth from God.
- Romans 10:14 That is, everyone (v 13), Jew and Greek (v 12). Paul carries out his argument in the universal terms of the prophets, which he is here applying to the case of Israel itself.
- Romans 10:14 Or, the One of Whom.
- Romans 10:15 Paul quotes Isaiah to prove that God has done His part. He sent forth messengers and they have proclaimed the message.
- Romans 10:16 Isaiah predicted this rejection by Israel as well, further proof of Israel’s ignorance.
- Romans 10:17 Paul summarizes the process he has deduced from Scripture. Faith in the hearer comes in response to a report about Christ, and this report comes through a message proclaimed by one sent.
- Romans 10:17 That is, the faith to call upon the Lord and be saved.
- Romans 10:17 This word means both hearing (the act of hearing) and report (the message heard). It is the same word as ‘report’ in v 16, and is related to ‘hear’ in v 18, and is rendered this way to show the connection to both. An obedient-hearing is in view here.
- Romans 10:17 Or, message. That is, the word of faith (v 8); the report (v 16); the proclamation (v 15).
- Romans 10:17 Or, from, through the word of His messengers.
- Romans 10:18 Paul moves on from describing the content of Israel’s ignorance (v 3-17) to their culpability for it.
- Romans 10:18 Israel cannot claim to have not heard the message, for the message was taken from Israel to the whole world.
- Romans 10:19 Or, understand. The prophets do not leave them this excuse. God told them from the beginning that He would go to the Gentiles and Israel would not believe.
- Romans 10:19 Or, a senseless nation, a foolish nation. The nation that knows God and has His word and is trained in spiritual matters will be angered by ones with no such expertise.
- Romans 10:20 Or, known.
- Romans 10:21 That is, in an imploring, pleading gesture.
- Romans 10:21 This word means ‘refusing to believe’.
- Romans 10:21 Or, speaking-against, opposing.
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
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Disciples' Literal New Testament: Serving Modern Disciples by More Fully Reflecting the Writing Style of the Ancient Disciples, Copyright © 2011 Michael J. Magill. All Rights Reserved. Published by Reyma Publishing
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
