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10 My friends, how I wish with all my heart that my own people might be saved! How I pray to God for them! I can assure you that they are deeply devoted to God; but their devotion is not based on true knowledge. They have not known the way in which God puts people right with himself, and instead, they have tried to set up their own way; and so they did not submit themselves to God's way of putting people right. For Christ has brought the Law to an end, so that everyone who believes is put right with God.

Salvation Is for All

(A)Moses wrote this about being put right with God by obeying the Law: “Whoever obeys the commands of the Law will live.” (B)But what the scripture says about being put right with God through faith is this: “You are not to ask yourself, Who will go up into heaven?” (that is, to bring Christ down). “Nor are you to ask, Who will go down into the world below?” (that is, to bring Christ up from death). What it says is this: “God's message is near you, on your lips and in your heart”—that is, the message of faith that we preach. If you confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised him from death, you will be saved. 10 For it is by our faith that we are put right with God; it is by our confession that we are saved. 11 (C)The scripture says, “Whoever believes in him will not be disappointed.” 12 This includes everyone, because there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles; God is the same Lord of all and richly blesses all who call to him. 13 (D)As the scripture says, “Everyone who calls out to the Lord for help will be saved.”

14 But how can they call to him for help if they have not believed? And how can they believe if they have not heard the message? And how can they hear if the message is not proclaimed? 15 (E)And how can the message be proclaimed if the messengers are not sent out? As the scripture says, “How wonderful is the coming of messengers who bring good news!” 16 (F)But not all have accepted the Good News. Isaiah himself said, “Lord, who believed our message?” 17 So then, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message comes through preaching Christ.

18 (G)But I ask: Is it true that they did not hear the message? Of course they did—for as the scripture says:

“The sound of their voice went out to all the world;
    their words reached the ends of the earth.”
19 (H)Again I ask: Did the people of Israel not understand? Moses himself is the first one to answer:
“I will use a so-called nation
    to make my people jealous;
and by means of a nation of fools
    I will make my people angry.”
20 (I)And Isaiah is even bolder when he says,
“I was found by those who were not looking for me;
    I appeared to those who were not asking for me.”

21 (J)But concerning Israel he says, “All day long I held out my hands to welcome a disobedient and rebellious people.”

Israel Needs the Gospel

10 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for [a]Israel is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness (A)that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 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. For (D)Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, (E)“The man who does those things shall live by them.” 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) or, (G)“ ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 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): 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

  1. Romans 10:1 NU them
  2. Romans 10:15 NU omits preach the gospel of peace, Who

10 Brothers,[a] my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that (A)they have a zeal for God, (B)but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of (C)the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. For (D)Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.[b]

The Message of Salvation to All

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. 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) “or ‘Who will descend into the (I)abyss?’” (that is, (J)to bring Christ up from the dead). 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); 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

(Z)“Their voice has gone out (AA)to all the earth,
    and their words to the ends of the world.”

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

  1. Romans 10:1 Or Brothers and sisters
  2. Romans 10:4 Or end of the law, that everyone who believes may be justified
  3. Romans 10:14 Or him whom they have never heard