1Brethren, my heart'sdesire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation.
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For I testify about them that they have1a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge.
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For not knowing about 2God'srighteousness and 3seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.
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For 4Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to 5everyone who believes.
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For Moseswrites that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law6shall live by that righteousness.
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But 7the righteousnessbased on faithspeaks as follows: "8DO NOT SAY IN YOUR HEART, 'WHO WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN?' (that is, to bringChristdown ),
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or'WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE 9ABYSS?' (that is, to 10bringChrist up from the dead)."
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But what does it say? "11THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, in your mouth and in your heart "-that is, the word of faithwhich we are preaching,
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that 12if you confess with your mouthJesus as Lord, and 13believe in your heart that 14Godraised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
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for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
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For the Scripturesays, "15WHOEVERBELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED."
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For 16there is nodistinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is 17Lord of 18all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him;
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for "19WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED."
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Howthen will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him 20whom they have not heard? And how will they hearwithout21a preacher?
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How will they preachunless* they are sent? Just as it is written, "22HOWBEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO 23BRINGGOODNEWS OF GOODTHINGS!"
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However, they 24did not allheed the goodnews; for Isaiahsays, "25LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT?"
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Sofaith comes from 26hearing, and hearing by 27the word of Christ.
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But I say, surely they have never*heard, have they? Indeed they have; "28THEIR VOICE HAS GONE OUT INTO ALL THE EARTH, AND THEIR WORDS TO THE ENDS OF THE WORLD."
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But I say, surelyIsrael did not know, did they? FirstMosessays, "29I WILL 30MAKE YOU JEALOUS BY THAT WHICH IS NOT A NATION, BY A NATIONWITHOUTUNDERSTANDING WILL I ANGER
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And Isaiah is verybold and says, "31I WAS FOUND BY THOSE WHO DID NOT SEEK ME, I BECAMEMANIFEST TO THOSE WHO DID NOT ASK FOR ME."
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But as for Israel He says, "32ALL THE DAY LONG I HAVE STRETCHED OUT MY HANDS TO A DISOBEDIENT AND OBSTINATEPEOPLE."