Romans 10

10 ¹ Brothers and sisters, my heart's desire and my prayer to our Father on their behalf is for their salvation. ² For I testify about them that they have a zeal for our Father, but not based on knowledge. ³ For not knowing the righteousness of our Father and trying to establish their own, they did not submit to our Father's righteousness. ⁴ For Christ is the culmination of the law, so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

⁵ For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law: "The person who does these things will live by them."

⁶ But the righteousness based on faith speaks like this: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down) ⁷ "or 'Who will descend into the abyss?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). ⁸ But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" — that is, the word of faith that we proclaim: ⁹ If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that our Father raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart you believe and are made right with our Father, and with the mouth you confess and are saved. ¹¹ For the Scripture says, "Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame." ¹² For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, richly blessing all who call on him. ¹³ For "everyone who calls on the name of our Lord Jesus will be saved." ^a a v13 Paul takes the promise that "everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved" and applies it to Jesus — to call on the Lord is to call on him.

¹⁴ How then can they call on the one in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone proclaiming? ¹⁵ And how can they proclaim unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"

¹⁶ But not all of them obeyed the good news. For Isaiah says, "Our Father, who has believed our message?" ¹⁷ So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word about Christ. ¹⁸ But I ask, did they not hear? Indeed they did: "Their voice has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world."

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

²⁰ Then Isaiah is so bold as to say, "I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me."

²¹ But about Israel he says, "All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and defiant people."