1Brothers, the desire of my heart and my prayer to God is that ⁴⁵Israel may be saved.

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

3For they do not understand the righteousness of God, and by seeking to establish their own ⁴⁶righteousness, they have not submitted to God's righteousness.

4For Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

Salvation for All Who Believe

5Moses writes ⁴⁷about the righteousness that is by the law: “The person who does these things will live by them.”

6But the righteousness that is by faith speaks like this: “Do not say in yoʋr heart, ‘Who will go up to heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down)

7“or, ‘Who will go down into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).

8But what does it say? “The word is near yoʋ, in yoʋr mouth and in yoʋr heart” (that is, the word of faith that we preach),

9because if yoʋ ⁴⁸confess with yoʋr mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe with yoʋr heart that God raised him from the dead, yoʋ will be saved.

10For with the heart belief is exercised, resulting in righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made, resulting in salvation.

11As the Scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.”

12For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call upon him.

13For “everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”

14How then ⁴⁹will they call upon him in whom they have not believed? And how ⁵⁰will they believe in him whom they have not heard? And how ⁵¹will they hear without someone preaching?

15And how ⁵²will they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those ⁵³who preach the gospel of peace, who preach good news of good things!”

16But not all the Israelites have obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?”

17So then, faith comes by hearing, and hearing comes through the word of ⁵⁴God.

18But I ask, have they not heard? On the contrary,
“The message has gone out into all the earth,
and the words to the ends of the world.”

19Again I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says,
“I will provoke you to jealousy by that which is not a nation;
by a nation that has no understanding I will provoke you to anger.”

20And Isaiah is even bold enough to say,
“I was found by those who were not seeking me;
I became known to those who were not asking for me.”

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