Romans 10

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

Brethren, the longing of my heart, and my prayer to God, on behalf of my countrymen is for their salvation.

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

For I bear witness that they possess an enthusiasm for God, but it is an unenlightened enthusiasm.

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.

Ignorant of the righteousness which God provides and building their hopes upon a righteousness of their own, they have refused submission to God's righteousness.

4 For Messiah is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

For as a means of righteousness Christ is the termination of Law to every believer.

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

Moses says that he whose actions conform to the righteousness required by the Law shall live by that righteousness.

6 But the righteousness which is of faith says this, "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will go up into heaven?' (that is, to bring Messiah down);

But the righteousness which is based on faith speaks in a different tone. "Say not in your heart," it declares, "'Who shall ascend to Heaven?'" --that is, to bring Christ down;

7 or, 'Who will go down into the deep?' (that is, to bring Messiah up from the dead.)" (Abyssos g12)

"nor 'Who shall go down into the abyss?'" --that is, to bring Christ up again from the grave. (Abyssos g12)

8 But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth, and in your heart;" that is, the message of faith that we proclaim;

But what does it say? "The Message is close to you, in your mouth and in your heart;" that is, the Message which we are publishing about the faith--

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

that if with your mouth you confess Jesus as Lord and in your heart believe that God brought Him back to life, you shall be saved.

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

For with the heart men believe and obtain righteousness, and with the mouth they make confession and obtain salvation.

11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes in him will not be put to shame."

The Scripture says, "No one who believes in Him shall have reason to feel ashamed."

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

Jew and Gentile are on precisely the same footing; for the same Lord is Lord over all, and is infinitely kind to all who call upon Him for deliverance.

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

For "every one, without exception, who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

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? And how will they hear without someone preaching?

But how are they to call on One in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in One whose voice they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher?

15 And how will they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of peace, who bring good news of good things."

And how are men to preach unless they have been sent to do so? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings of good!"

16 But they did not all listen to the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our report?"

But, some will say, they have not all hearkened to the Good News. No, for Isaiah asks, "Lord, who has believed the Message they have heard from us?"

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

And this proves that faith comes from a Message heard, and that the Message comes through its having been spoken by Christ.

18 But I ask, isn't it rather that they did not hear? On the contrary, "Their voice has gone out to all the earth, their words to the farthest parts of the world."

But, I ask, have they not heard? Yes, indeed: "To the whole world the preachers' voices have sounded forth, and their words to the remotest parts of the earth."

19 But I ask, did not Israel know? First Moses says, "I will provoke you to jealousy with that which is not a people. I will make you angry with a foolish nation."

But again, did Israel fail to understand? Listen to Moses first. He says, "I will fire you with jealousy against a nation which is no nation, and with fury against a nation devoid of understanding."

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."

And Isaiah, with strange boldness, exclaims, "I have been found by those who were not looking for Me, I have revealed Myself to those who were not inquiring of Me."

21 But as to Israel he says, "All day long I have stretched out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people."

While as to Israel he says, "All day long I have stretched out My arms to a self-willed and fault-finding people."