Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. 2 For I testify about them that they have ^aa zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. 3 For not knowing about ^aGod’s righteousness and ^bseeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. 4 For ^aChrist is the ¹end of the Law for righteousness to ^beveryone who believes.

5 For Moses writes of the righteousness that is ¹based on the Law, that the person who performs ²them ^awill live by ³them. 6 But ^athe righteousness ¹based on faith speaks as follows: “^bDO NOT SAY IN YOUR HEART, ‘WHO WILL GO UP INTO HEAVEN?’ (that is, to bring Christ down), 7 or ‘Who will descend into the ^aabyss?’ (that is, to ^bbring Christ up from the dead).” 8 But what does it say? “^aTHE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, 9 ¹that ^aif you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and ^bbelieve in your heart that ^cGod raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, ¹resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, ²resulting in salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “^aWHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE ¹PUT TO SHAME.” 12 For ^athere is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is ^bLord of ^call, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; 13 for “^aEVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.”

14 How then are they to call on Him in whom they have not believed? How are they to believe in Him ^awhom they have not heard? And how are they to hear without ^ba preacher? 15 But how are they to preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written: “^aHOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO ^1bBRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!”

16 However, they ^adid not all heed the ¹good news; for Isaiah says, “^bLORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT?” 17 So faith comes from ^ahearing, and hearing by ^bthe word ¹of Christ.

18 But I say, surely they have never heard, have they? On the contrary:“^aTHEIR VOICE HAS GONE OUT INTO ALL THE EARTH,AND THEIR WORDS TO THE ENDS OF THE ¹WORLD.” 19 But I say, surely Israel did not know, did they? First Moses says,“^aI WILL ^bMAKE YOU JEALOUS WITH THOSE WHO ARE NOT A NATION,WITH A FOOLISH NATION I WILL ANGER YOU.” 20 And Isaiah is very bold and says,“^aI WAS FOUND BY THOSE WHO DID NOT SEEK ME,I REVEALED MYSELF TO THOSE WHO DID NOT ASK FOR ME.” 21 But as for Israel, He says, “^aI HAVE SPREAD OUT MY HANDS ALL DAY LONG TO A DISOBEDIENT AND OBSTINATE PEOPLE.”