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Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.
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For I bear them witness that 1they have a zeal for God, 2but not according to knowledge.
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For, being ignorant of 3the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness.
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For 4Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
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For 5Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that 6the person who does the commandments shall live by them.
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But 7the righteousness based on faith says, 8"Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down)
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or "'Who will descend into the 9abyss?'" (that is, 10to bring Christ up from the dead).
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But what does it say? 11"The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim);
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because, if 12you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and 13believe in your heart 14that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
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For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
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For the Scripture says, 15"Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame."
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16For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; 17for the same Lord is Lord of all, 18bestowing his riches on all who call on him.
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For 19"everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
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How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him 20of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear 21without someone preaching?
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And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 22"How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!"
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But 23they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, 24"Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?"
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So 25faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
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But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for 26"Their voice has gone out 27to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world."
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But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says, 28"I will 29make you jealous of those who are not a nation; with a 30foolish nation I will make you angry."
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Then Isaiah is so bold as to say, 31"I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me."
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But of Israel he says, 32"All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people."