101 Brothers, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is, that they may get salvation. 2 For I give witness of them that they have a strong desire for God, but not with knowledge. 3 Because, not having knowledge of God's righteousness, and desiring to give effect to their righteousness, they have not put themselves under the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who has faith. 5 For Moses says that the man who does the righteousness which is of the law will get life by it. 6 But the righteousness which is of faith says these words, Say not in your heart, Who will go up to heaven? (that is, to make Christ come down:) 7 Or, Who will go down into the deep? (that is, to make Christ come again from the dead:) 8 But what does it say? The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart: that is, the word of faith of which we are the preachers: 9 Because, if you say with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and have faith in your heart that God has made him come back from the dead, you will have salvation: 10 For with the heart man has faith to get righteousness, and with the mouth he says that Jesus is Lord to get salvation. 11 Because it is said in the holy Writings, Whoever has faith in him will not be shamed.
12 And the Jew is not different from the Greek: for there is the same Lord of all, who is good to all who have hope in his name: 13 Because, Whoever will give worship to the name of the Lord will get salvation. 14 But how will they give worship to him in whom they have no faith? and how will they have faith in him of whom they have not had news? and how will they have news without a preacher? 15 And how will there be preachers if they are not sent? As it is said, How beautiful are the feet of those who give the glad news of good things. 16 But they have not all given ear to the good news. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has had faith in our word? 17 So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. 18 But I say, Did not the word come to their ears? Yes, certainly: Their sound has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world. 19 But I say, Had Israel no knowledge? First Moses says, You will be moved to envy by that which is not a nation, and by a foolish people I will make you angry. 20 And Isaiah says without fear, Those who were not searching for me made discovery of me; and I was seen by those whose hearts were turned away from me. 21 But about Israel he says; All the day my hands have been stretched out to a people whose hearts were turned away, and who put themselves against my word.
31 How then is the Jew better off? or what profit is there in circumcision? 2 Much in every way: first of all because the words of God were given to them. 3 And if some have no faith, will that make the faith of God without effect? 4 In no way: but let God be true, though every man is seen to be untrue; as it is said in the Writings, That your words may be seen to be true, and you may be seen to be right when you are judged. 5 But if the righteousness of God is supported by our wrongdoing what is to be said? is it wrong for God to be angry (as men may say)? 6 In no way: because if it is so, how is God able to be the judge of all the world? 7 But if, because I am untrue, God being seen to be true gets more glory, why am I to be judged as a sinner? 8 Let us not do evil so that good may come (a statement which we are falsely said by some to have made), because such behaviour will have its right punishment.
9 What then? are we worse off than they? In no way: because we have before made it clear that Jews as well as Greeks are all under the power of sin; 10 As it is said in the holy Writings, There is not one who does righteousness; 11 Not one who has the knowledge of what is right, not one who is a searcher after God; 12 They have all gone out of the way, there is no profit in any of them; there is not one who does good, not so much as one: 13 Their throat is like an open place of death; with their tongues they have said what is not true: the poison of snakes is under their lips: 14 Whose mouth is full of curses and bitter words: 15 Their feet are quick in running after blood; 16 Destruction and trouble are in their ways; 17 And of the way of peace they have no knowledge: 18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.
19 Now, we have knowledge that what the law says is for those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and all men may be judged by God: 20 Because by the works of the law no man is able to have righteousness in his eyes, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.
21 But now without the law there is a revelation of the righteousness of God, to which witness is given by the law and the prophets; 22 That is, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ, to all those who have faith; and one man is not different from another, 23 For all have done wrong and are far from the glory of God; 24 And they may have righteousness put to their credit, freely, by his grace, through the salvation which is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God has put forward as the sign of his mercy, through faith, by his blood, to make clear his righteousness when, in his pity, God let the sins of earlier times go without punishment; 26 And to make clear his righteousness now, so that he might himself be upright, and give righteousness to him who has faith in Jesus. 27 What reason, then, is there for pride? It is shut out. By what sort of law? of works? No, but by a law of faith. 28 For this reason, then, a man may get righteousness by faith without the works of the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? is he not in the same way the God of Gentiles? Yes, of Gentiles: 30 If God is one; and he will give righteousness because of faith to those who have circumcision, and through faith to those who have not circumcision. 31 Do we, then, through faith make the law of no effect? in no way: but we make it clear that the law is important.
