Israel needs salvation

1Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is for their salvation.

2For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to real knowledge.

3For they, failing to understand God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to God's righteousness.

How to be saved

4Now for everyone who believes into righteousness, Christ is the end of the law ¹⁵³

5—Moses writes about the righteousness that is from the law: “The person who does these things will live by them.” ¹⁵⁴

6But the righteousness that is from faith speaks like this: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” ¹⁵⁵(that is, to bring Christ down)

7“or, ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” ¹⁵⁶(that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).

8So what does it say? “The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” ¹⁵⁷(that is, the message of faith that we proclaim):

9That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

10Because with the heart one believes into righteousness, and with the mouth one promises ¹⁵⁸into salvation.

11Because the Scripture says: “Everyone who believes on Him will never be put to shame” ¹⁵⁹;

12because there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, since the same Lord of all is rich to all who call upon Him;

13because: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” ¹⁶⁰

The message is necessary

14How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe on Him of whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without someone proclaiming it?

15And how will they proclaim unless they are sent? As it is written: “How timely is the arrival ¹⁶¹of those who bring good news of peace, ¹⁶²of those who announce the good things.” ¹⁶³

16(However, they did not all obey the gospel; because Isaiah says: “Lord, who has believed our message?” ¹⁶⁴)

17So, the faith is from a message, and that message is by the Word of God. ¹⁶⁵

A rebellious people

18But I say, did they really not hear? Indeed yes: “Their voice has gone out into all the earth, and their spoken words
to the ends of the inhabited world.” ¹⁶⁶

19Again I say, did Israel really not know? First Moses says: “I will provoke you to jealousy by a non-nation, I will move you to anger by a senseless nation.” ¹⁶⁷

20But Isaiah is so bold as to say: “I was found by those who were not seeking me; I was revealed to those who were not asking for me.” ¹⁶⁸

21But concerning Israel he says: “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.” ¹⁶⁹