Romans 10

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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),”

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

As Scripture says, “Those who trust 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.

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.

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

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will 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? How will they hear without a preacher?

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?

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!”

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!”

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

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

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

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

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

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.”

19 But I ask, didn’t 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.”

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!”

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

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.”

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

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