1. Fellow believers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved.
2. For I bear them record that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.
3. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God.
4. For Christ is the purpose of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
5. For Moses describes the righteousness which is of the law, That the man who does those things shall live by them.
6. But the righteousness which is of faith speaks in this way, Do not say in your heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)
7. Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)
8. But what does it say? The word is near you, even in your mouth, and in your heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
9. That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.
10. For with the heart man believes leading to righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made leading to salvation.
11. For the scripture says, Whoever believes in him shall not be ashamed.
12. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich to all that call upon him.
13. For whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
14. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?
15. And how shall they preach, unless they are sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
16. But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our report?
17. So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
18. But I say, Have they not heard? Yes truly, their sound went into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.
19. But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses says, I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.
20. But 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.
21. But to Israel he says, All day long I have stretched out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.
|