Romans 10

1 Brothers, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God is for Israel, that they may be saved.

My fellow believers, what I deeply desire and what I pray to God earnestly for is that he will save [my own people], [the Jews].

2 For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.

I declare truthfully about them that although they (zealously seek/very much want to know) God, they do not understand [how to seek/know him correctly].

3 For being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.

They did not (submit themselves to/accept) the way that God erases the record of people’s sins. They did not [want to] recognize [that way] because they wanted him to do it their own way.

4 For Christ is the fulfillment of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

They wanted God to erase the record of their sins [as a result of their obeying his laws. But] because of what Christ has done, it is no longer necessary for [people to obey] the laws [God gave Moses in order for the record of their sins to be erased]. Now God will erase the record of sins of everyone who trusts [in what Christ has done].

5 For Moses writes about the righteousness of the law, “The one who does them will live by them.”

In regard to [the old] way, Moses wrote [concerning people who obey God’s] laws, “It is the people who have done [perfectly] the things [that the laws require] who will gain [eternal] life by [doing] them.”

6 But the righteousness which is of faith says this, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down);

But those whose record of sins God has erased as a result of their believing [in Christ] can say [to anyone] [PRS] [as Moses said], “You should not [critically] think inwardly, ‘(Someone will have to go up and enter heaven!/Who will go up and enter heaven?)’ [RHQ]” That is to say, someone will have to [go up and] bring Christ down [to bring the message of salvation to us]!

7 or, 'Who will descend into the Abyss (Abyssos g12)?' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.)"

“Or [you should not think inwardly], ‘(Someone will have to go down and enter the place where [the spirits] of dead persons are!/Who will go down and enter the place where [the spirits] of dead persons are?)’ [RHQ]” That is to say, someone will have to [go down and] bring Christ up [from there to bring the message of salvation to us. You should not say that because Christ has already come down to save us, and has already become alive after he died]! (Abyssos g12)

8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart;” that is, the word of faith which we preach:

But instead, [those who believe in Christ] [PRS] can say what [RHQ] [Moses also said], “You [(sg)] can find out about [God’s] message very easily. You can speak [MTY] about it; you can think [MTY] about it.” This is the message that we proclaim, that people must believe [in Christ].

9 that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

[This message is that] if anyone of you confesses/says publicly that Jesus is Lord, and if you [(sg)] believe that God (caused him to become alive again after he died/raised him from the dead), you will be saved {[God] will save you}.

10 For with the heart one believes resulting in righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made resulting in salvation.

If people believe [that Christ died and that God caused him to become alive again] [CHI], the result is that [God will erase the record of their sins]. And [for] those who state/declare publicly [that Jesus is their Lord], the result is that [God] will save them.

11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in him will not be disappointed.”

[It is written] {[Isaiah wrote]} in the Scriptures [PRS] [about the Messiah], “Whoever believes in him will not be disappointed.”

12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, and is rich to all who call on him.

[God] treats Jews and non-Jews similarly. Because he is the same Lord for all people [who believe in him], he abundantly [blesses] all who ask him [to save them].

13 For, “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

This is [just like what the prophet Joel wrote]: “All those who ask the Lord [God] to save them will be saved {The Lord [God] will save all those who ask him to save them}.”

14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in him whom they have not heard? How will they hear without a preacher?

[In regard to the people of Israel rejecting the gospel, some people might object by saying], (OR, [This raises another problem about the Jews]: ) “(They certainly cannot ask [Christ to save them] if they have not [first] believed [in him]!/How can they ask [Christ to help/save them] if they have not [first] believed [in him]?) [RHQ] And (they certainly cannot believe [in him] if they have not heard about him!/how can they believe [in him] if they have not heard about him?) [RHQ] And (they certainly cannot hear [about him] if someone does not preach to them [about him]!/how can they hear [about him] if someone does not preach to them [about him]?) [RHQ]

15 And how will they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the Good News of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!”

And those who preach to them [about Christ], (certainly cannot preach if they are not sent [by God] {if [God] does not send them} [to preach!]/how can they preach if they are not sent [by God] {if [God] does not send them} [to preach]?) [RHQ] [His sending messengers to them would be] just like it is written {like someone wrote} [in the Scriptures], ‘The arrival [MTY] of those who preach the good message is wonderful!’”

16 But they did not all listen to the glad news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?”

[I would reply in this way to people who say such things: God has indeed sent people to preach the message about Christ]. But not all [the people of Israel] have paid attention to the good message! [It is like what] Isaiah said [when he felt very discouraged], “Lord, it seems as if hardly anyone believed what they heard us [(exc)] preach! [RHQ]”

17 So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

So then, [I tell you that people] are believing [in Christ] as a result of hearing [the message about him], and people are hearing [the message] as a result of [people] preaching [about] Christ!

18 But I say, did not they hear? Yes, most certainly, “Their sound went out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”

But [if someone were to] ask, “Have not [the people of Israel] heard [the message about God?]” [I would reply that they] certainly [have heard it]! It is like [what is written in the Psalms], [People living] all over the world [PRS, MTY] [have seen the stars], and what they indicate [about God’s character has reached people living in] the most remote places in the world [DOU]!

19 But I ask, did not Israel know? First Moses says, “I will provoke you to jealousy with that which is no nation. I will make you angry with a nation void of understanding.”

But [someone might ask], “[Is it true that the people of] [MTY] Israel understood [the message about Christ]?” [I would reply that certainly they understood it, but they rejected it! Remember that] Moses was the first [one who warned the people of Israel about disobeying God. He told them that God said], [You consider that] non-Jewish groups are not nations at all [CHI]. But some of them [will believe in me, and I will bless them]. Then you will envy them. I will cause you to be angry with those people whom [you Jews think] do not understand [my ways] [IRO].

20 Isaiah is very bold and says, “I was found by those who did not seek me. I was revealed to those who did not ask for me.”

Remember also [what God] said [very] boldly to Isaiah: Non-Jews who did not (try to know/seek) me will surely find me [DOU]! I will surely reveal what I am like to those who did not ask for me!

21 But about Israel he says, “All day long I stretched out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”

But concerning [the people of] Israel, [Isaiah] tells [us that God said]: For a long time I have held out my arms to people who disobeyed and rebelled against me, [in order] to invite them to return to me.