Romans 10

1 My brothers and sisters, my heart's desire—my prayer to God—is for the salvation of the people of Israel!

Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is for their salvation.

2 I can testify to their passionate dedication to God, but it's not based on knowing him as he truly is.

For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to real knowledge.

3 They don't understand how God makes us right with him, and they try to make themselves right. They refuse to accept God's way of making people right.

For they, failing to understand God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to God's righteousness.

4 For Christ is the fulfillment of the law. All those who trust in him are made right.

Now for everyone who believes into righteousness, Christ is the end of the law

5 Moses wrote, “Whoever does what is right by obeying the law will live.”

—Moses writes about the righteousness that is from the law: “The person who does these things will live by them.”

6 But the attitude of doing right that comes from trust says this: “Don't ask ‘who'll go to heaven?’ (asking to bring Christ down),”

But the righteousness that is from faith speaks like this: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down)

7 or “‘who'll go to the place of the dead?’ (asking to bring Christ back from the dead).” (Abyssos g12)

“or, ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). (Abyssos g12)

8 What Scripture actually says is: “The message is very close to you—it's what you talk about and what's in your mind.” In fact it's this message based on trust that we're presenting.

So what does it say? “The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the message of faith that we proclaim):

9 For if you declare that you accept Jesus as Lord, and you are convinced in your mind that God raised him from the dead, then you will be saved.

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

10 Your trust in God makes you right and good, and your declaration of accepting God saves you.

Because with the heart one believes into righteousness, and with the mouth one promises into salvation.

11 As Scripture says, “Those who trust in him will not be disappointed.”

Because the Scripture says: “Everyone who believes on Him will never be put to shame”;

12 There's no difference between Jew and Greek—for the same Lord is Lord of everyone, and he gives generously to everyone who asks him.

because there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, since the same Lord of all is rich to all who call upon Him;

13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

because: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

14 But how can people call on someone they don't trust? How can they trust someone they haven't heard about? How can they hear unless they're told?

How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe on Him of whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without someone proclaiming it?

15 How can they go out and tell others unless they're sent? Just as Scripture says, “Those who come bringing the good news are truly welcome!”

And how will they proclaim unless they are sent? As it is written: “How timely is the arrival of those who bring good news of peace, of those who announce the good things.”

16 But not everyone has accepted the good news. As Isaiah asks: “Lord, who trusted in the news they heard from us?”

(However, they did not all obey the gospel; because Isaiah says: “Lord, who has believed our message?”)

17 Trusting in God comes from hearing—hearing the message of Christ.

So, the faith is from a message, and that message is by the Word of God.

18 It's not that they haven't heard. Quite the opposite: “The voices of those speaking for God have been heard all over the earth—their message went out to the whole world.”

But I say, did they really not hear? Indeed yes: “Their voice has gone out into all the earth, and their spoken words to the ends of the inhabited world.”

19 So my question is, “Didn't Israel know?” First of all Moses says, “I'll make you jealous by using people who aren't even a nation; I will make you angry by using ignorant foreigners!”

Again I say, did Israel really not know? First Moses says: “I will provoke you to jealousy by a non-nation, I will move you to anger by a senseless nation.”

20 Then Isaiah said it even more strongly: “I was found by people who weren't even looking for me; I revealed myself to people who weren't even asking for me.”

But Isaiah is so bold as to say: “I was found by those who were not seeking me; I was revealed to those who were not asking for me.”

21 As God says to Israel, “All day long I reached out my hands to a disobedient and stubborn people.”

But concerning Israel he says: “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”