Romans 10

My fellow believers, I strongly desire {that God will save the Israelites}. I also pray for him {to save} them!

{This is} because I personally confirm that they are zealous about God. However, {they are} not {zealous} based on fully knowing {God}.

{This is} because they are not aware of how God makes people righteous, and they try to make themselves righteous. {This is why} they refuse to subject themselves to the way God makes people righteous. \*

{They were wrong to try to make themselves righteous}, because {Jesus} the Messiah has ended the laws {that God gave the Jews}. {Christ did this} in order for God to make righteous anyone who trusts {in Jesus}.

Indeed, this is what Moses wrote {in the Scriptures} about being righteous by {obeying} the laws {God gave the Jews}: “The person who obeys {all} {God’s} laws {perfectly} will live {eternally} by doing so.” \*

However, this is what {Moses} said {in the Scriptures} about people becoming righteous by trusting {in God}, “Do not say to yourselves, ‘Surely no one can go up to heaven!’” (This refers to trying to make the Messiah come down {to the earth}.)

{Moses} also {said not to say,} “Surely no one can go down into the bottomless pit!” (This refers to trying to make the Messiah become alive again after he had died.) \*

However, {Moses also} said this {in the Scriptures} {about people becoming righteous by trusting in God}, “You can easily know what God said. You can proclaim it and know it personally.” This refers to what God said about trusting {in him}. {This is what} we {believers in the Messiah} keep announcing.

{What we keep announcing is} that God will save {any of} you who verbally acknowledges that Jesus is the Lord {over all things} and {personally} trusts that God made Jesus become alive again after he had died.

{This is true} because God makes righteous anyone who personally trusts {in Jesus}, and he saves anyone who verbally acknowledges {that Jesus is the Lord}. \*

Indeed, this is {what God} said in the Scriptures, “God will not humiliate {anyone} who trusts in that person.”

Indeed, the Lord {Jesus} does not discriminate between Jewish people and non-Jewish people. {This is} because {Jesus} is the same Lord {who rules} over everyone. He generously blesses all people who call out to him {to save them}.

Indeed, {Joel wrote in the Scriptures,} “God will save all people who call out to the Lord {to save them}.” \*

So, people certainly will not call out {for the Lord Jesus to save them} {if} they do not trust {in him}. And people certainly will not trust {in Jesus} {if} they have not heard {about him}. And people certainly will not hear {about Jesus} {if} someone does not proclaim {to them who he is}.

And certainly people would not proclaim {to other people who Jesus is} unless someone sends them out! This is what {Isaiah meant when} he wrote {in the Scriptures}, “It is a beautiful thing when people go and declare {to other people} the good news about good things!” \*

However, not all {Jews} accepted the good news {about Jesus}. Indeed, this is what Isaiah {meant when} he said {in the Scriptures}, “Lord, no one trusts what we say!”

So then, {a person can only} trust {in Jesus} by hearing {about him}. And {a person can only} hear {about Jesus} through {hearing} the message {that is about} the Messiah. \*

However, this is what I say, “The Jews most definitely heard {the message}!” It is a fact. {As David wrote in the Scriptures,} “{The heavenly bodies are like witnesses and} everyone throughout the entire world could hear what they said.” \*

This is also what I say, “{The people of} Israel most definitely understood {the message}!” {God} first said through Moses {in the Scriptures}, “I will {personally} make you envious and angry by {using} a nation that does not {belong to me} and does not {even} know {me}.” \*

Moreover, {God} quite boldly declared through Isaiah {in the Scriptures}, “I revealed myself to those {non-Jewish people} who were not interested in knowing me and did not {even} ask about me.”

However, {God} told {the people of} Israel {in the Scriptures}, “I am always inviting {you} to know me, {but you} {constantly} disobey and oppose {me}!” \*