1 Brāļi, mana sirdsvēlēšanās un mans Dieva lūgums par viņiem ir, lai viņi tiktu izglābti.
2 Jo es dodu viņiem liecību, ka viņi deg par Dievu, bet bez izpratnes.
3 Jo, aplam saprazdami dievišķo taisnību, viņi centušies celt savējo un tādā kārtā Dieva taisnībai nav pakļāvušies.
4 Jo bauslības gals ir Kristus; viņā iegūst taisnību ikviens, kas tic.
5 Jo Mozus par bauslības taisnību raksta: „Ikviens, kas to būs piepildījis, ar to iegūs dzīvību.“
6 Bet taisnība, kas tiek iegūta ticībā, saka tā: „Nesaki savā sirdī: kas uzkāps debesīs?“ —tas ir, lai novestu zemē Kristu, —
7 Nedz, arī: „Kas nokāps bezdibenī?“ —tas ir uzcelt Kristu no miroņiem, —
8 Bet kā viņa saka? —„Tuvu pie tevis ir tas vārds, tavā mutē un tavā sirdī,“ —proti ticības vārds, ko mēs sludinām.
9 Jo, ja to ar savu muti apliecināsi Jēzu par Kungu un savā sirdī ticēsi, ka Dievs viņu uzmodinājis no miroņiem, tu tiksi izglābts.
10 Jo ar sirds ticību panākama taisnība un ar mutes liecību—pestīšana,
11 Jo raksti saka: „Neviens, kas uz viņu paļaujas, nepaliks kaunā.“
12 Šai ziņā nav starpības starp jūdu un grieķi: Jo pār visiem ir tas pats Kungs, kas parāda savu bagātību visiem, kas viņu piesauc.
13 Jo ikviens, kas piesauc tā Kunga vārdu, tiks izglābts.
14 Bet kā lai piesauc, kam nav ticējuši? Un kā lai tic tam, par ko nav dzirdējuši? Bet kā lai dzird, kad nav, kas sludina?
15 Un kā lai sludina, kad nav sūtīti? Ir rakstīts: „Cik tīkamas to kājas, kas pauž labo vēsti!“
16 Bet ne visi pieņēmuši evanģcliju, kā jau Jesaja saka: „Kungs, kas ir ticējis mūsu vēstij?“
17 Tā tad ticība nāk no sludināšanas, un sludināšana—no Kristus pavēles,
18 Tad nu es jautāju: vai viņiem nav sludināts? Un kā vēl! „Pa visu zemi ir izgājusi viņu balss skaņa, līdz pasaules galam viņu vārdi.“
19 Es jautāju: kā tad Israēls nav sapratis? Jau Mozus saka: „Es jūs darīšu greizsirdīgus uz netautu, dusmīgus uz nemācītiem ļaudīm.“
20 Bet Jesaja visai pārdroši saka: „Es devos pazīstams tādiem, kas mani nemeklēja, un atklāju sevi tādiem, kas pēc manis nevaicāja.“
21 Bet par Israēlu viņš saka: „Augu dienu es savas rokas turēju izplestas pret tautu, kas bija nepaklausīga un spītīga.“
1 My friends, how I wish with all my heart that my own people might be saved! How I pray to God for them! 2 I can assure you that they are deeply devoted to God; but their devotion is not based on true knowledge. 3 They have not known the way in which God puts people right with himself, and instead, they have tried to set up their own way; and so they did not submit themselves to God's way of putting people right. 4 For Christ has brought the Law to an end, so that everyone who believes is put right with God.
Salvation Is for All
5 Moses wrote this about being put right with God by obeying the Law: “Whoever obeys the commands of the Law will live.” 6 But what the scripture says about being put right with God through faith is this: “You are not to ask yourself, Who will go up into heaven?” (that is, to bring Christ down). 7 “Nor are you to ask, Who will go down into the world below?” (that is, to bring Christ up from death). 8 What it says is this: “God's message is near you, on your lips and in your heart”—that is, the message of faith that we preach. 9 If you confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised him from death, you will be saved. 10 For it is by our faith that we are put right with God; it is by our confession that we are saved. 11 The scripture says, “Whoever believes in him will not be disappointed.” 12 This includes everyone, because there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles; God is the same Lord of all and richly blesses all who call to him. 13 As the scripture says, “Everyone who calls out to the Lord for help will be saved.”
14 But how can they call to him for help if they have not believed? And how can they believe if they have not heard the message? And how can they hear if the message is not proclaimed? 15 And how can the message be proclaimed if the messengers are not sent out? As the scripture says, “How wonderful is the coming of messengers who bring good news!” 16 But not all have accepted the Good News. Isaiah himself said, “Lord, who believed our message?” 17 So then, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message comes through preaching Christ.
18 But I ask: Is it true that they did not hear the message? Of course they did—for as the scripture says:
“The sound of their voice went out to all the world;
their words reached the ends of the earth.”
19 Again I ask: Did the people of Israel not understand? Moses himself is the first one to answer:
“I will use a so-called nation
to make my people jealous;
and by means of a nation of fools
I will make my people angry.”
20 And Isaiah is even bolder when he says,
“I was found by those who were not looking for me;
I appeared to those who were not asking for me.”
21 But concerning Israel he says, “All day long I held out my hands to welcome a disobedient and rebellious people.”
