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10 My brothers, with all my heart I want the Jews to be saved. And I ask God to save them.

I can say this about them, they want very much to obey God. But they do not know the right way.

They did not know the way God makes people right with him. They tried to make themselves good people. So they did not obey God's way to become right with him.

Christ has made an end to the law as a way of getting right with God. Everyone who believes in him is put right with God.

Moses wrote this: `A man who obeys the law will live by it.'

But the holy writings also speak about those who are put right by believing: `Do not say in your heart, "Who will go up into heaven?" ' (That means, `Who will go up to heaven to bring Christ down?')

`Do not say, "Who will go down into the hole that has no bottom?" ' (That means, `Who will go down to bring Christ up from the dead people?')

But what do the holy writings say? They say, `The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart.' That means, the word to believe which we tell people.

If you say with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and if you believe in your heart that God has raised Christ from death, you will be saved.

10 A person believes with his heart, and he is made right with God. He speaks with his mouth and so is saved from his wrong ways.

11 The holy writings say, `Anyone who believes in him will not be let down.'

12 The Jews and other people are alike. The same Lord is Lord of all people. He richly blesses all who call out to him.

13 The holy writings say, `Everyone who calls out to the Lord will be saved.'

14 But how can people call someone if they have not believed in him? And how can they believe in him if they have not heard about him? And how can they hear about him if no one tells them about him?

15 And how can people tell about him if no one sends them? The holy writings say, `How good are the feet of those who bring the good news of peace and happiness.'

16 But they have not all obeyed the good news. It is as Isaiah said it would be, `Lord, who has believed what we have told them?'

17 So people believe because they hear. They hear because people tell them about Christ.

18 But I ask, have they not heard? Yes, they have. The holy writings say, `Their voice has gone out all over the earth. And their words have gone out all over the world.'

19 But I ask, did not the Jews know? First the book of Moses says, `I will make you jealous through people who are not a nation like the Jews. I will make you angry through people who do not even know or understand these things.'

20 But the book of Isaiah says even stronger words. `The people who did not look for me have found me. I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.'

21 But he says about the Jews, `All day I held out my hands to a people who did not obey me, who said wrong things against me.'

10 Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire(A) and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous(B) for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.(C) Christ is the culmination of the law(D) so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.(E)

Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: “The person who does these things will live by them.”[a](F) But the righteousness that is by faith(G) says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’”[b](H) (that is, to bring Christ down) “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’”[c](I) (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).(J) But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,”[d](K) that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare(L) with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,”(M) and believe(N) in your heart that God raised him from the dead,(O) you will be saved.(P) 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”[e](Q) 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile(R)—the same Lord is Lord of all(S) and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord(T) will be saved.”[f](U)

14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”[g](V)

16 But not all the Israelites accepted the good news.(W) For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?”[h](X) 17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message,(Y) and the message is heard through the word about Christ.(Z) 18 But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did:

“Their voice has gone out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world.”[i](AA)

19 Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says,

“I will make you envious(AB) by those who are not a nation;
    I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding.”[j](AC)

20 And Isaiah boldly says,

“I was found by those who did not seek me;
    I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me.”[k](AD)

21 But concerning Israel he says,

“All day long I have held out my hands
    to a disobedient and obstinate people.”[l](AE)

Footnotes

  1. Romans 10:5 Lev. 18:5
  2. Romans 10:6 Deut. 30:12
  3. Romans 10:7 Deut. 30:13
  4. Romans 10:8 Deut. 30:14
  5. Romans 10:11 Isaiah 28:16 (see Septuagint)
  6. Romans 10:13 Joel 2:32
  7. Romans 10:15 Isaiah 52:7
  8. Romans 10:16 Isaiah 53:1
  9. Romans 10:18 Psalm 19:4
  10. Romans 10:19 Deut. 32:21
  11. Romans 10:20 Isaiah 65:1
  12. Romans 10:21 Isaiah 65:2