Romans 10

1Brothers and sisters, the deep desire of my heart, and my prayer to God, is for the people of Israel to be saved.

2I can say about them that they are very eager for God, but their eagerness is not based on real knowledge.

3They did not understand how God makes people right with Himself, and they tried to set up their own way of being right. So they did not accept God's way.

4For Christ is the end of the law, so that everyone who believes may be made right with God.

5Moses writes about being made right by the law: The person who obeys these things will live by them.

6But being made right by faith says this: Do not say in your heart, Who will go up to heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down)

7or, Who will go down into the deep? (that is, to bring Christ up from death).

8Instead, what does it say? The message is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart. This is the message of faith that we preach:

9If you say with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from death, you will be saved.

10For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by saying it with your mouth that you are saved.

11As the Scripture says: The one who trusts in Him will never be put to shame.

12There is no difference between Jew and Greek. The same Lord is Lord of all, and He richly blesses all who call on Him,

13for: Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

14But how can people call on the One they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the One they have not heard about? And how can they hear without someone preaching?

15And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As the Scripture says: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!

16But not everyone has accepted the good news. For Isaiah says: Lord, who has believed our message?

17So faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

18But I ask: Did they not hear? Yes, they did: Their voice went out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.

19Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says: I will make you jealous of those who are not even a nation; I will make you angry with a nation that has no understanding.

20And Isaiah boldly says: I was found by those who were not looking for me; I showed myself to those who were not asking for me.

21But about Israel he says: All day long I have held out my hands to a people who disobey and argue.