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Romans 10

1Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is for salvation. 2For I bear them witness that they have zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3For, not knowing God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. 4For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

5For Moses writes that the person who does the righteousness that is from the law will live by it. 6But the righteousness that is by faith speaks this way: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’”—that is, to bring Christ down—7“or, ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’”—that is, to bring Christ up from the dead. 8But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith that we proclaim: 9if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For with the heart one believes for righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses for salvation. 11For scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all, rich toward all who call on him. 13For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

14How, then, can they call on one in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in one whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone proclaiming? 15And how can they proclaim unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!” 16But not all obeyed the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” 17So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. 18But I ask, did they not hear? They certainly did: “Their sound has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the inhabited world.” 19But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says, “I will make you jealous through those who are not a nation; through a nation without understanding I will provoke you to anger.” 20And Isaiah speaks boldly and says, “I was found among those who were not seeking me; I became visible to those who were not asking for me.” 21But concerning Israel he says, “All day long I stretched out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”

Translation notes 5

10:1–4 — Desire and the end of the law. “Brothers” addresses the believing community, including women; “them” refers back to Israel. “End” can mean termination or goal and culmination. The compact wording keeps the question visible without adding that every function of the law has ceased. The relation to righteousness for believers is explicit.

10:5–8 — Scripture and the abyss. Verse 5 follows the working Greek text's singular wording, “the righteousness” and “by it”; other witnesses speak of doing “these things” and living “by them.” Verses 6–8 draw on Deuteronomy 30:12–14, with Paul's Christ-centered explanations. “Abyss” is the depth associated here with the dead: the displayed KJV, NRSVUE, and NASB renderings respectively use “deep,” “abyss,” and “abyss.” The passage does not name Gehenna or identify this depth as a place of final punishment.

10:9–13 — Confession, belief, and Lord. “Confess” means openly acknowledge, here that Jesus is Lord. Heart and mouth repeat the scriptural wording rather than dividing salvation into a mechanical sequence of separate acts. “For righteousness” and “for salvation” retain the parallel. Verse 13 quotes Joel 2:32; Paul places that appeal to the Lord alongside the confession of Jesus as Lord, without inserting Jesus' name into the quotation.

10:14–17 — Hearing and the word. Verse 14 says “whom they have not heard”; “about whom they have not heard” is another interpretation. The passage can picture hearing Christ through the proclamation. “Word of Christ” can mean a message from Christ or about him. Some textual traditions read “word of God.” “Report” in verse 16 and “hearing” in verse 17 translate the same Greek noun in its connected senses.

10:18–21 — Scriptural voices. The quotations draw on Psalm 19:4, Deuteronomy 32:21, and Isaiah 65:1–2. The cosmic reach of the psalm is retained; no reconstructed missionary itinerary is inserted. Verse 20 follows the base's “among those,” with “by those” another way of understanding the phrase. Israel's disobedience is followed immediately in chapter 11 by the denial that God has rejected his people.