1 ARST My fellow believers, I strongly desire{ that God will save the Israelites}. I also pray for him{ to save} them! BSB BSB: Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is for their salvation.
2 ARST { This is} because I personally confirm that they are zealous about God. However,{ they are} not{ zealous} based on fully knowing{ God}. BSB BSB: For I testify about them that they are zealous for God, but not on the basis of knowledge.
3 ARST { 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. BSB BSB: Because they were ignorant of God’s righteousness and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.
4 ARST { 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}. BSB BSB: For Christ is the end of the law, to bring righteousness to everyone who believes.
5 ARST 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.” BSB BSB: For concerning the righteousness that is by the law, Moses writes: “The man who does these things will live by them.”
6 ARST 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}.) BSB BSB: But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down)
7 ARST { 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.) BSB BSB: or, ‘Who will descend into the Abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).”
8 ARST 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. BSB BSB: But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming:
9 ARST { 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. BSB BSB: that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 ARST { 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}. BSB BSB: For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved.
11 ARST Indeed, this is{ what God} said in the Scriptures,“God will not humiliate{ anyone} who trusts in that person.” BSB BSB: It is just as the Scripture says: “Anyone who believes in Him will never be put to shame.”
12 ARST 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}. BSB BSB: For there is no difference between Jew and Greek: The same Lord is Lord of all, and gives richly to all who call on Him,
14 ARST 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}. BSB BSB: How then can they call on the One in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach?
15 ARST 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!” BSB BSB: And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
16 ARST 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!” BSB BSB: But not all of them welcomed the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?”
17 ARST 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. BSB BSB: Consequently, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
18 ARST 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.” BSB BSB: But I ask, did they not hear? Indeed they did: “Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”
19 ARST 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}.” BSB BSB: I ask instead, did Israel not understand? First, Moses says: “I will make you jealous by those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation without understanding.”
20 ARST 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.” BSB BSB: And Isaiah boldly says: “I was found by those who did not seek Me; I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me.”
21 ARST 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}!” BSB BSB: But as for Israel he says: “All day long I have held out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.