1 Brethren, mine hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saued. 2 For I beare them record, that they haue the zeale of God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they, being ignorant of the righteousnes of God, and going about to stablish their owne righteousnes, haue not submitted themselues to the righteousnes of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnes vnto euery one that beleeueth. 5 For Moses thus describeth the righteousnes which is of the Lawe, That the man which doeth these things, shall liue thereby. 6 But the righteousnes which is of faith, speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heauen? (that is to bring Christ from aboue) 7 Or, Who shall descend into the deepe? (that is to bring Christ againe from the dead) 8 But what sayth it? The worde is neere thee, euen in thy mouth, and in thine heart. This is the worde of faith which we preach. 9 For if thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus, and shalt beleeue in thine heart, that God raised him vp from the dead, thou shalt be saued: 10 For with the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnes, and with the mouth man confesseth to saluation. 11 For the Scripture saith, Whosoeuer beleeueth in him, shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference betweene the Iewe and the Grecian: for he that is Lord ouer all, is rich vnto all, that call on him. 13 For whosoeuer shall call vpon the Name of the Lord, shalbe saued. 14 But how shall they call on him, in whome they haue not beleeued? and how shall they beleeue in him, of whom they haue not heard? and howe shall they heare without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, Howe beautifull are the feete of them which bring glad tidings of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! 16 But they haue not all obeyed ye Gospel: for Esaias saith, Lord, who hath beleeued our report? 17 Then faith is by hearing, and hearing by the worde of God. 18 But I demaund, Haue they not heard? No doubt their sound went out through all the earth, and their wordes into the endes of the worlde. 19 But I demaund, Did not Israel knowe God? First Moses sayth, I will prouoke you to enuie by a nation that is not my nation, and by a foolish nation I will anger you. 20 And Esaias is bolde, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not, and haue bene made manifest to them that asked not after me. 21 And vnto Israel hee sayth, All the day long haue I stretched foorth mine hand vnto a disobedient, and gainesaying people.
1 My friends, how I wish with all my heart that my own people might be saved! How I pray to God for them! 2 I can assure you that they are deeply devoted to God; but their devotion is not based on true knowledge. 3 They have not known the way in which God puts people right with himself, and instead, they have tried to set up their own way; and so they did not submit themselves to God's way of putting people right. 4 For Christ has brought the Law to an end, so that everyone who believes is put right with God.
Salvation Is for All
5 Moses wrote this about being put right with God by obeying the Law: “Whoever obeys the commands of the Law will live.” 6 But what the scripture says about being put right with God through faith is this: “You are not to ask yourself, Who will go up into heaven?” (that is, to bring Christ down). 7 “Nor are you to ask, Who will go down into the world below?” (that is, to bring Christ up from death). 8 What it says is this: “God's message is near you, on your lips and in your heart”—that is, the message of faith that we preach. 9 If you confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised him from death, you will be saved. 10 For it is by our faith that we are put right with God; it is by our confession that we are saved. 11 The scripture says, “Whoever believes in him will not be disappointed.” 12 This includes everyone, because there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles; God is the same Lord of all and richly blesses all who call to him. 13 As the scripture says, “Everyone who calls out to the Lord for help will be saved.”
14 But how can they call to him for help if they have not believed? And how can they believe if they have not heard the message? And how can they hear if the message is not proclaimed? 15 And how can the message be proclaimed if the messengers are not sent out? As the scripture says, “How wonderful is the coming of messengers who bring good news!” 16 But not all have accepted the Good News. Isaiah himself said, “Lord, who believed our message?” 17 So then, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message comes through preaching Christ.
18 But I ask: Is it true that they did not hear the message? Of course they did—for as the scripture says:
“The sound of their voice went out to all the world;
their words reached the ends of the earth.”
19 Again I ask: Did the people of Israel not understand? Moses himself is the first one to answer:
“I will use a so-called nation
to make my people jealous;
and by means of a nation of fools
I will make my people angry.”
20 And Isaiah is even bolder when he says,
“I was found by those who were not looking for me;
I appeared to those who were not asking for me.”
21 But concerning Israel he says, “All day long I held out my hands to welcome a disobedient and rebellious people.”