Israel’s Unbelief

30 What then shall we say?(A) That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;(B) 31 but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness,(C) have not attained their goal.(D) 32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone.(E) 33 As it is written:

“See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble
    and a rock that makes them fall,
    and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame.”[a](F)

10 Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire(G) and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous(H) for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.(I) Christ is the culmination of the law(J) so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.(K)

Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: “The person who does these things will live by them.”[b](L) But the righteousness that is by faith(M) says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’”[c](N) (that is, to bring Christ down) “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’”[d](O) (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).(P) But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,”[e](Q) that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare(R) with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,”(S) and believe(T) in your heart that God raised him from the dead,(U) you will be saved.(V) 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

Footnotes

  1. Romans 9:33 Isaiah 8:14; 28:16
  2. Romans 10:5 Lev. 18:5
  3. Romans 10:6 Deut. 30:12
  4. Romans 10:7 Deut. 30:13
  5. Romans 10:8 Deut. 30:14

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