1 Brothers, my hearts desire and my prayer to God for Israel is for their salvation.
2 I testify that they have zeal for God, but not according to precise and correct knowledge.
3 They are ignorant of Gods righteousness. They seek to establish their own righteousness and have not submitted to the righteousness of God.
4 Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who exerts active faith.
5 Moses writes down the righteousness that is of the law. The man who has practiced those things shall live by them.
6 But the righteousness of faith speaks this way: »Do not say in your heart: who will ascend to heaven? That is, to bring Christ down;
7 or »who will descend into the abyss? That is, to bring up Christ from among the dead.«
8 But what does it say? »The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart.« It is the »word« of faith, which we preach. (Deuteronomy 30:8-20)
9 If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and have active faith in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes for righteousness. And with the mouth one declares for salvation.
11 The scripture says: »No one believing on him shall be disappointed.« (Isaiah 28:16)
12 For there is no difference between Jew and Greek. The same Lord God of all is abounding in riches for all who call on him.
13 »Everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved.« (Joel 2:32)
14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how will they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without someone to preach?
15 How will they preach unless they have been sent? Just as it is written: »How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace and who bring good tidings of good things! For they proclaim salvation and say to Zion: »Your God reigns as king!« Hebrew: Elohiym malak: God rules! (Isaiah 52:7)
16 But they have not all obeyed the good news. For Isaiah says: »Jehovah, who has believed our message?« (Isaiah 53:1)
17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word about Christ.
18 I say: Have they not heard? Yes in fact their sound went »into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the inhabited earth.« (Psalm 19:4)
19 I say Israel did not know. First Moses said: »I will provoke you people to rivalry through that which is not a nation, and I will anger you with a foolish nation.« (Deuteronomy 32:21)
20 Isaiah is very bold, and says: »Those who did not seek me found me. I was made manifest to those who did not ask for me.«
21 But to Israel he says: »All day long I have stretched out my hands to a people who are disobedient and self-willed obstinate.« (Isaiah 65:1, 2)