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10 My brothers, with all my heart I want the Jews to be saved. And I ask God to save them.

I can say this about them, they want very much to obey God. But they do not know the right way.

They did not know the way God makes people right with him. They tried to make themselves good people. So they did not obey God's way to become right with him.

Christ has made an end to the law as a way of getting right with God. Everyone who believes in him is put right with God.

Moses wrote this: `A man who obeys the law will live by it.'

But the holy writings also speak about those who are put right by believing: `Do not say in your heart, "Who will go up into heaven?" ' (That means, `Who will go up to heaven to bring Christ down?')

`Do not say, "Who will go down into the hole that has no bottom?" ' (That means, `Who will go down to bring Christ up from the dead people?')

But what do the holy writings say? They say, `The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart.' That means, the word to believe which we tell people.

If you say with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and if you believe in your heart that God has raised Christ from death, you will be saved.

10 A person believes with his heart, and he is made right with God. He speaks with his mouth and so is saved from his wrong ways.

11 The holy writings say, `Anyone who believes in him will not be let down.'

12 The Jews and other people are alike. The same Lord is Lord of all people. He richly blesses all who call out to him.

13 The holy writings say, `Everyone who calls out to the Lord will be saved.'

14 But how can people call someone if they have not believed in him? And how can they believe in him if they have not heard about him? And how can they hear about him if no one tells them about him?

15 And how can people tell about him if no one sends them? The holy writings say, `How good are the feet of those who bring the good news of peace and happiness.'

16 But they have not all obeyed the good news. It is as Isaiah said it would be, `Lord, who has believed what we have told them?'

17 So people believe because they hear. They hear because people tell them about Christ.

18 But I ask, have they not heard? Yes, they have. The holy writings say, `Their voice has gone out all over the earth. And their words have gone out all over the world.'

19 But I ask, did not the Jews know? First the book of Moses says, `I will make you jealous through people who are not a nation like the Jews. I will make you angry through people who do not even know or understand these things.'

20 But the book of Isaiah says even stronger words. `The people who did not look for me have found me. I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.'

21 But he says about the Jews, `All day I held out my hands to a people who did not obey me, who said wrong things against me.'

10 Brothers, the thing I want most is for all the Jews to be saved. That is my prayer to God. I can say this about them: They really try to follow God. But they do not know the right way. They did not know the way that God makes people right with him. And they tried to make themselves right in their own way. So they did not accept God’s way of making people right. Christ ended the law, so that everyone who believes in him may be right with God.

Moses writes about being made right by following the law. He says, “A person who does these things will have life forever because of them.”[a] But this is what the Scripture says about being made right through faith: “Don’t say to yourself, ‘Who will go up into heaven?’” (That means, “Who will go up to heaven to get Christ and bring him down to earth?”) “And do not say, ‘Who will go down into the world below?’” (That means, “Who will go down to get Christ and bring him up from death?”) This is what the Scripture says: “God’s teaching is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart.”[b] That is the teaching of faith that we tell. If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and if you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from death, then you will be saved. 10 We believe with our hearts, and so we are made right with God. And we declare with our mouths to say that we believe, and so we are saved. 11 As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disappointed.”[c] 12 That Scripture says “anyone” because there is no difference between Jew and non-Jew. The same Lord is the Lord of all and gives many blessings to all who trust in him. 13 The Scripture says, “Anyone who asks the Lord for help will be saved.”[d]

14 But before people can trust in the Lord for help, they must believe in him. And before they can believe in the Lord, they must hear about him. And for them to hear about the Lord, someone must tell them. 15 And before someone can go and tell them, he must be sent. It is written, “How beautiful is the person who comes to bring good news.”[e]

16 But not all the Jews accepted the good news. Isaiah said, “Lord, who believed what we told them?”[f] 17 So faith comes from hearing the Good News. And people hear the Good News when someone tells them about Christ.

18 But I ask: Didn’t people hear the Good News? Yes, they heard—as the Scripture says:

“Their message went out through all the world.
    It goes everywhere on earth.” Psalm 19:4

19 Again I ask: Didn’t the people of Israel understand? Yes, they did understand. First, Moses says:

“I will use those who are not a nation to make you jealous.
    I will use a nation that does not understand to make you angry.” Deuteronomy 32:21

20 Then Isaiah is bold enough to say:

“I was found by those who were not asking me for help.
    I made myself known to people who were not looking for me.” Isaiah 65:1

21 But about Israel God says,

“All day long I stood ready to accept
    people who disobey and are stubborn.” Isaiah 65:2

Footnotes

  1. 10:5 “A person . . . them.” Quotation from Leviticus 18:5.
  2. 10:6-8 Don’t . . . heart. Quotations from Deuteronomy 9:4; 30:12–14; Psalm 107:26.
  3. 10:11 “Anyone . . . disappointed.” Quotation from Isaiah 28:16.
  4. 10:13 “Anyone . . . saved.” Quotation from Joel 2:32.
  5. 10:15 “How . . . news.” Quotation from Isaiah 52:7.
  6. 10:16 “Lord . . . them?” Quotation from Isaiah 53:1.