Romans 10
The Voice
10 My brothers and sisters, I pray constantly to God for the salvation of my people; it is the deep desire of my heart. 2 What I can say about them is that they are enthusiastic about God, but that won’t lead them to Him because their zeal is not based on true knowledge. 3 In their ignorance about how God is working to make things right, they have been trying to establish their own right standing with God through the law. But they are not operating under God’s saving, restorative justice. 4 You see, God’s purpose for the law reaches its climax when the Anointed One arrives; now all who trust in Him can have their lives made right with God.
God’s plan to restore the world disfigured by sin and death reaches its climax with the resurrection of Jesus. When the King enters, all the prophecies, all the hopes, all the longings find in Him their true fulfillment. There may have been earlier fulfillments; but these are only partial fulfillments, signposts along the way to God’s true goal. The goal has been the restoration of people to a holy God. With Jesus, we find the only perfect man with right standing before God. He comes to blaze a path defined by God’s justice, not by our own sense of right and wrong. All men, women, and children who commit their lives to Him will be made right with God and will begin new lives defined by faith and God’s new covenant.
5 Moses made this clear long ago when he wrote about what it takes to have a right relationship with God based on the law: “The person devoted to the law’s commands will live by them.”[a] 6 But a right relationship based on faith sounds like this: “Do not say to yourselves, ‘Who will go up into heaven?’”[b] (that is, to bring down the Anointed One), 7 “or, ‘Who will go down into the abyss?’”[c] (that is, to bring the Anointed One up from the dead). 8 But what does it actually say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”[d] (that is, the good news we have been called to preach to you). 9 So if you believe deep in your heart that God raised Jesus from the pit of death and if you voice your allegiance by confessing the truth that “Jesus is Lord,” then you will be saved! 10 Belief begins in the heart and leads to a life that’s right with God; confession departs from our lips and brings eternal salvation. 11 Because what Isaiah said was true: “The one who trusts in Him will not be disgraced.”[e] 12 Remember that the Lord draws no distinction between Jew and non-Jew—He is Lord over all things, and He pours out His treasures on all who invoke His name 13 because as Scripture says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”[f]
Faith is not something we do. It is a response to what God has done already on our behalf, the response of a spirit restless in a fragmented world.
14 How can people invoke His name when they do not believe? How can they believe in Him when they have not heard? How can they hear if there is no one proclaiming Him? 15 How can some give voice to the truth if they are not sent by God? As Isaiah said, “Ah, how beautiful the feet of those who declare the good news of victory, of peace and liberation.”[g] 16 But some will hear the good news and refuse to submit to the truth they hear. Isaiah the prophet also says, “Lord, who would ever believe it? Who would possibly accept what we’ve been told?”[h] 17 So faith proceeds from hearing, as we listen to the message about God’s Anointed.
18 But let me ask this: have my people ever heard? Indeed, they have:
Yet from here to the ends of the earth, their voice has gone out;
the whole world has heard what they have to say.[i]
19 But again let me ask: did Israel perhaps hear and not understand all of this? Well, Moses was the first to say,
I will make you jealous with a people who are not a nation.
With a senseless people I will anger you.[j]
20 Then Isaiah the fearless prophet says it this way:
I was found by people who did not seek Me;
I showed My face to those who never asked for Me.[k]
21 And as to the fate of Israel, God says,
All day long I opened My hands
to a rebellious people, who constantly work against Me.[l]
Kehillah in Rome 10
Orthodox Jewish Bible
10 Achim b’Moshiach, the great tshuka (desire, longing) of my lev and my tefillah to Hashem is for the Yeshu’at Yisroel (salvation of Israel).
2 For I can be meid (provide testimony, attest) regarding them that they have a kinat Hashem (zeal for G-d), but not in accordance with saving binah and da’as.
3 For, having no saving da’as of the Tzidkat Hashem (the righteousness of G-d), and seeking to establish their own (that is, self-attained) they have not subjected themselves to the Tzidkat Hashem (righteousness of G-d 1:17; 3:5,21,25-26; 6:18).
4 For Moshiach is the goal of the Torah as a means to being YITZDAK IM HASHEM, for all who have emunah.
5 For Moshe Rabbeinu writes with reference to the (accessibility of) Tzidkat Torah (righteousness which is from the Torah), "The man YA’ASEH OTAM VACHAI ("who does these things will live" by them VAYIKRA 18:5).
6 Whereas the Tzidkat Emunah (righteousness which is from faith) speaks thus: "Do not say (looking for Messianic salvation being merited by superhuman attainments in works) in your lev, ‘Who will go up into Shomayim?' (that is, to bring Moshiach down)?
7 Or ‘Who will go down into the abyss?' (that is, to bring Moshiach up from the Mesim).
8 But what does it say? "The Dvar is near you, in your MOUTH and in your HEART " [DEVARIM 30:14]. That is, the Dvar of Emunah which we proclaim.
9 Because if you make hoda’ah (confession) "with your PEH" of Adoneinu Yehoshua, and have emunah "in your LEV" that G-d raised him from the Mesim, you will be delivered.
10 For with the "heart" one has emunah unto being YITZDAK IM HASHEM and with the "mouth" hoda’ah is made unto Yeshu’at Eloheinu.
11 For the Kitvei Hakodesh says, "Everyone who has emunah in Him shall not be put to shame" YESHAYAH 28:16.
12 For there is no distinction between Yehudi and Yevani [cf 3:9], for the same one is Adon Echad l’chulam (one L-rd over all), rich to all who call upon Him.
13 For V’HAYAH KOL ASHER YIKRA B’SHEM ADONOI ("Everyone whoever calls upon the Name of the L-rd" YOEL 3:5 [2:32]) shall be delivered.
14 How therefore 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 without someone doing the hatafah (preaching)?
15 And how shall they do the hatafah (preaching) unless they have been sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach" Besuras HaGeulah YESHAYAH 52:7.
16 But not all have mishma’at (obedience) to the Besuras HaGeulah. For Yeshayah says (YESHAYAH 53:1): MI HE’EMIN LISHMU’ATEINU ("Who has believed that which is heard, our report?" [cf. DEVARIM 9:4]
17 So, then, emunah comes from hearing, and hearing comes through the Dvar HaMoshiach.
18 But I say, is it the case that they have not heard? On the contrary: "Their sound has gone out into all the earth and their words to the ends of the inhabited world" TEHILLIM 19:4.
19 But I say, is it the case that Yisroel has not known? First, Moshe Rabbeinu says: "I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation; by a senseless nation I will make you angry." DEVARIM 32:21.
20 And Yeshayeh HaNavi is bold as to say: "I have been found by those who do not seek Me; I have revealed Myself to those who do not ask for Me"[YESHAYAH 65:1].
21 But concerning Yisroel he says: "All the day I stretched out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people" YESHAYAH 65:2.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
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