Romans 10
Good News Translation
10 My friends, how I wish with all my heart that my own people might be saved! How I pray to God for them! 2 I can assure you that they are deeply devoted to God; but their devotion is not based on true knowledge. 3 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. 4 For Christ has brought the Law to an end, so that everyone who believes is put right with God.
Salvation Is for All
5 (A)Moses wrote this about being put right with God by obeying the Law: “Whoever obeys the commands of the Law will live.” 6 (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). 7 “Nor are you to ask, Who will go down into the world below?” (that is, to bring Christ up from death). 8 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. 9 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.”
Romans 10
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
10 Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. 2 For I can testify that they have a zeal for God, but it is not based on knowledge.(A) 3 Not knowing the righteousness of God and seeking to establish their own, they have not submitted to God’s righteousness.(B) 4 For Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.(C)
Salvation Is for All
5 Moses writes concerning the righteousness that comes from the law, that “the person who does these things will live by them.”(D) 6 But the righteousness that comes from faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring 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 faith that we proclaim),(E) 9 because[a] if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe[b] in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.(F) 10 For one believes[c] with the heart, leading to righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, leading to salvation. 11 The scripture says, “No one who believes[d] in him will be put to shame.”(G) 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him.(H) 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”(I)
14 But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed?[e] And how are they to believe[f] in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? 15 And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”(J) 16 But not all have obeyed the good news,[g] for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed[h] our message?”(K) 17 So faith[i] comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.[j]
18 But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have:
“Their voice has gone out to all the earth
and their words to the ends of the world.”(L)
19 Again I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says,
“I will use those who are not a nation to make you jealous;
with a foolish nation I will provoke you.”(M)
20 Then Isaiah is so bold as to say,
“I have been found by those who did not seek me;
I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.”(N)
21 But of Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”(O)
Romans 10
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
10 Brethren, the will of my heart, indeed, and my prayer to God, is for them unto salvation.
2 For I bear them witness, that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
3 For they, not knowing the justice of God, and seeking to establish their own, have not submitted themselves to the justice of God.
4 For the end of the law is Christ, unto justice to every one that believeth.
5 For Moses wrote, that the justice which is of the law, the man that shall do it, shall live by it.
6 But the justice which is of faith, speaketh thus: Say not in thy heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? that is, to bring Christ down;
7 Or who shall descend into the deep? that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.
8 But what saith the scripture? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart. This is the word of faith, which we preach.
9 For if thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thy heart that God hath raised him up from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For, with the heart, we believe unto justice; but, with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the scripture saith: Whosoever believeth in him, shall not be confounded.
12 For there is no distinction of the Jew and the Greek: for the same is Lord over all, rich unto all that call upon him.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved.
14 How then shall they call on him, in whom they have not believed? Or how shall they believe him, of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear, without a preacher?
15 And how shall they preach unless they be sent, as it is written: How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, of them that bring glad tidings of good things!
16 But all do not obey the gospel. For Isaias saith: Lord, who hath believed our report?
17 Faith then cometh by hearing; and hearing by the word of Christ.
18 But I say: Have they not heard? Yes, verily, their sound hath gone forth into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the whole world.
19 But I say: Hath not Israel known? First, Moses saith: I will provoke you to jealousy by that which is not a nation; by a foolish nation I will anger you.
20 But Isaias is bold, and saith: I was found by them that did not seek me: I appeared openly to them that asked not after me.
21 But to Israel he saith: All the day long have I spread my hands to a people that believeth not, and contradicteth me.
Romans 10
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 10
1 [a]Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God on their behalf is for salvation.(A) 2 I testify with regard to them that they have zeal for God, but it is not discerning.(B) 3 For, in their unawareness of the righteousness that comes from God and their attempt to establish their own [righteousness], they did not submit to the righteousness of God.(C) 4 For Christ is the end[b] of the law for the justification of everyone who has faith.(D)
5 [c]Moses writes about the righteousness that comes from [the] law, “The one who does these things will live by them.”(E) 6 But the righteousness that comes from faith says,(F) “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will go up into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 [d]or ‘Who will go down into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).”(G) 8 But what does it say?
“The word is near you,
in your mouth and in your heart”(H)
(that is, the word of faith that we preach), 9 for, if you confess[e] with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.(I) 10 For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. 11 For the scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.”(J) 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, enriching all who call upon him.(K) 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”(L)
14 [f]But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach?(M) 15 And how can people preach unless they are sent? As it is written,(N) “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring [the] good news!”[g] 16 But not everyone has heeded the good news; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what was heard from us?”(O) 17 Thus faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.(P) 18 But I ask, did they not hear? Certainly they did; for
“Their voice has gone forth to all the earth,
and their words to the ends of the world.”(Q)
19 But I ask, did not Israel understand?(R) First Moses says:
“I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation;
with a senseless nation I will make you angry.”
20 (S)Then Isaiah speaks boldly and says:
“I was found [by] those who were not seeking me;
I revealed myself to those who were not asking for me.”
21 But regarding Israel he says, “All day long I stretched out my hands to a disobedient and contentious people.”
Footnotes
- 10:1–13 Despite Israel’s lack of faith in God’s act in Christ, Paul does not abandon hope for her salvation (Rom 10:1). However, Israel must recognize that the Messiah’s arrival in the person of Jesus Christ means the termination of the Mosaic law as the criterion for understanding oneself in a valid relationship to God. Faith in God’s saving action in Jesus Christ takes precedence over any such legal claim (Rom 10:6).
- 10:4 The Mosaic legislation has been superseded by God’s action in Jesus Christ. Others understand end here in the sense that Christ is the goal of the law, i.e., the true meaning of the Mosaic law, which cannot be correctly understood apart from him. Still others believe that both meanings are intended.
- 10:5–6 The subject of the verb says (Rom 10:6) is righteousness personified. Both of the statements in Rom 10:5, 6 derive from Moses, but Paul wishes to contrast the language of law and the language of faith.
- 10:7 Here Paul blends Dt 30:13 and Ps 107:26.
- 10:9–11 To confess Jesus as Lord was frequently quite hazardous in the first century (cf. Mt 10:18; 1 Thes 2:2; 1 Pt 2:18–21; 3:14). For a Jew it could mean disruption of normal familial and other social relationships, including great economic sacrifice. In the face of penalties imposed by the secular world, Christians are assured that no one who believes in Jesus will be put to shame (Rom 10:11).
- 10:14–21 The gospel has been sufficiently proclaimed to Israel, and Israel has adequately understood God’s plan for the messianic age, which would see the gospel brought to the uttermost parts of the earth. As often in the past, Israel has not accepted the prophetic message; cf. Acts 7:51–53.
- 10:15 How beautiful are the feet of those who bring [the] good news: in Semitic fashion, the parts of the body that bring the messenger with welcome news are praised; cf. Lk 11:27.
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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