1 B rethren, my heart’s desire and goodwill for, I long and pray to God that they may be saved.

2 I bear them witness that they have a zeal and enthusiasm for God, but it is not enlightened and according to knowledge.

3 F or being ignorant of the righteousness that God ascribes and seeking to establish a righteousness (a means of salvation) of their own, they did not obey or submit themselves to God’s righteousness.

4 F or Christ is the end of the Law as the means of righteousness (right relationship to God) for everyone who trusts in and adheres to and relies on Him.

5 F or Moses writes that the man who practice the righteousness (perfect conformity to God’s will) which is based on the Law shall live by it.

6 B ut the righteousness based on faith says, Do not say in your heart, Who will ascend into Heaven? that is, to bring Christ down;

7 O r who will descend into the abyss? that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.

8 B ut what does it say? The Word (God’s message in Christ) is near you, on your lips and in your heart; that is, the Word (the message, the basis and object) of faith which we preach,

9 B ecause if you acknowledge and confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and in your heart believe (adhere to, trust in, and rely on the truth) that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

10 F or with the heart a person believes (adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Christ) and so is justified (declared righteous, acceptable to God), and with the mouth he confesses (declares openly and speaks out freely his faith) and confirms salvation.

11 T he Scripture says, No man who believes in Him will be put to shame or be disappointed.

12 f or there is no distinction between Jew and Greek. The same Lord is Lord over all and He generously bestows His riches upon all who call upon Him.

13 F or everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.

14 B ut how are people to call upon Him Whom they have not believed ? And how are they to believe in Him of Whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher?

15 A nd how can men preach unless they are sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings!

16 B ut they have not all heeded the Gospel; for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed (had faith in) what he has heard from us?

17 S o faith comes by hearing, and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ (the Messiah Himself).

18 B ut I ask, Have they not heard? Indeed they have; Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the far bounds of the world.

19 A gain I ask, Did Israel not understand? First, there is Moses who says, I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; with a foolish nation I will make you angry.

20 T hen Isaiah is so bold as to say, I have been found by those who did not seek Me; I have shown (revealed) Myself to those who did not ask for Me.

21 B ut of Israel he says, All day long I have stretched out My hands to a people unyielding and disobedient and self-willed.