1 Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God on behalf of the Jews is that they would be saved.

2 For I can testify on their behalf that they have a zeal for God, but it is not in keeping with full knowledge.

3 For they are ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God while they try to establish their own, and they have not submitted to God's righteousness.

4 For Christ is the culmination of the law as far as righteousness is concerned for everyone who believes.

5 For Moses writes about the righteousness that comes from the law as follows: "The person who obeys these things will find life in them."

6 But the righteousness that comes from faith says, "Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will go up to heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down),

7 or ‘Who will go down into the depths?’ (that is, to bring Christ back from the dead)."

8 But 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 proclaim:

9 If you declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

10 For a person believes with his heart and is justified, and a person declares with his mouth and is saved.

11 For the Scripture says, "Everyone who believes in him will not be ashamed."

12 For there is no difference between Jew and Greek, because they all have the same Lord, who gives richly to all who call on him.

13 For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

14 How, then, can people call on someone they have not believed? And how can they believe in someone they have not heard about? And how can they hear without someone preaching?

15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of thosewho bring the good news!"

16 But not everyone has obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah asks, "Lord, who has believed our message?"

17 Consequently, faith comes from listening, and listening comes through the word of Christ.

18 But I ask, "Didn't they hear?" Certainly they did! In fact, "Their voice has gone out into the whole world,and their words to the ends of the earth."

19 Again I ask, "Did Israel not understand?" Moses was the first to say, "I will make you jealousby those who are not a nation; I will make you angryby a nation that doesn't understand."

20 And Isaiah boldly says, "I was found by those who were not looking for me;I was revealed to those who were not asking for me."

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