1Brothers and sisters, with all my heart I long for the people of Israel to be saved. I pray to God for them. 2I can tell you for certain that they really want to serve God. But how they are trying to do it is not based on knowledge. 3They didn’t know that God’s power makes people right with himself. They tried to get right with God in their own way. They didn’t do it in God’s way. 4Christ has fulfilled everything the law was meant to do. So now everyone who believes can be right with God.
5Moses writes about how the law could help a person do what God requires. He writes, “The person who does these things will live by them.” (Leviticus 18:5) 6But the way to do what God requires must begin by having faith in him. Scripture says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will go up into heaven?’ ” (Deuteronomy 30:12) That means to go up into heaven and bring Christ down. 7“And do not say, ‘Who will go down into the grave?’ ” (Deuteronomy 30:13) That means to bring Christ up from the dead. 8But what does it say? “The message is near you. It’s in your mouth and in your heart.” (Deuteronomy 30:14) This means the message about faith that we are preaching. 9Say with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord.” Believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead. Then you will be saved. 10With your heart you believe and are made right with God. With your mouth you say what you believe. And so you are saved. 11Scripture says, “The one who believes in him will never be put to shame.” (Isaiah 28:16) 12There is no difference between those who are Jews and those who are not. The same Lord is Lord of all. He richly blesses everyone who calls on him. 13Scripture says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Joel 2:32)
14How can they call on him unless they believe in him? How can they believe in him unless they hear about him? How can they hear about him unless someone preaches to them? 15And how can anyone preach without being sent? It is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (Isaiah 52:7)
16But not all the people of Israel accepted the good news. Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” (Isaiah 53:1) 17So faith comes from hearing the message. And the message that is heard is the message about Christ. 18But I ask, “Didn’t the people of Israel hear?” Of course they did. It is written,
“Their voice has gone out into the whole earth.
Their words have gone out from one end of the world to the other.” (Psalm 19:4)
19Again I ask, “Didn’t Israel understand?” First, Moses says,
“I will use people who are not a nation to make you jealous.
I will use a nation that has no understanding to make you angry.” (Deuteronomy 32:21)
20Then Isaiah boldly speaks about what God says. God said,
“I was found by those who were not trying to find me.
I made myself known to those who were not asking for me.” (Isaiah 65:1)
21But Isaiah also speaks about what God says concerning Israel. God said,
“All day long I have held out my hands.
I have held them out to a stubborn people who do not obey me.” (Isaiah 65:2)
Gyidi Ne Bɔneka
1Anuanom, nea me koma pere hwehwɛ yɛ me mpae a mebɔ srɛ Onyankopɔn ma Israelfo sɛ wobenya nkwagye. 2Metumi adi wɔn ho adanse sɛ wɔyɛ nnipa a wɔde mmɔdemmɔ som Onyankopɔn sɛnea ɛsɛ. Nanso wɔn som no mfi nimdeɛ mu. 3Wɔammu trenee a efi Onyankopɔn no, na mmom wɔpɛɛ sɛ wɔfa wɔn ankasa nimdeɛ so. Eyi amma wɔamfa wɔn ho anhyɛ Onyankopɔn pɛ a ɔnam so ma onipa wie pɛyɛ no ase. 4Kristo ne mmara no awiei, enti obiara a ogye di no bɛyɛ ɔtreneeni.
5Mose kyerɛe sɛ, sɛ onipa di mmara no so a, obetumi asɔ Onyankopɔn ani, bere a ɔkyerɛw se, “Sɛ obi pɛ sɛ onya nkwa a, ɔnyɛ nea mmara no ka no nyinaa.” 6Nanso wɔn a wɔn gyidi nti Onyankopɔn agye wɔn no, mmisa wɔ wɔn koma mu se, “Hena na ɔbɛkɔ ɔsoro akɔfa Kristo aba?” 7Na wɔremmisa nso se, “Hena na ɔbɛkɔ awufo asase so akonyan no aba nkwa mu?” 8Nea Kyerɛwsɛm no ka ni: “Onyankopɔn asɛm no abɛn wo, ɛda wʼano na ɛwɔ wo koma mu.” Eyi ne asɛm a ɛfa gyidi ho a yɛka no. 9Sɛ wopae mu ka se, “Yesu ne Awurade,” na wugye di sɛ Onyankopɔn na onyan no fii awufo mu a, wobegye wo nkwa. 10Na yefi koma mu gye di na wɔabu yɛn bem, na yɛde yɛn ano pae mu ka na yɛanya nkwagye. 11Na Kyerɛwsɛm no ka se, “Obiara a ɔde ne ho to ne so no, nʼanim rengu ase.” 12Nsonoe biara nni Yudani ne Amanamanmuni ntam. Awurade baako no yɛ Awurade ma wɔn nyinaa na ohyira wɔn a wosu frɛ no. 13Sɛnea Kyerɛwsɛm no ka se, “Obiara a ɔbɛbɔ Awurade din no benya nkwa.”
14Ɛbɛyɛ dɛn na nnipa benya gyidi wɔ Awurade mu na wɔabisa no nkwagye? Na ɛbɛyɛ dɛn na wɔate? Gye sɛ obi ka kyerɛ wɔn. 15Na sɛ wɔansoma wɔn nso a, wɔbɛyɛ dɛn na wɔaka Asɛmpa no? Sɛnea wɔakyerɛw se, “Wɔn a wɔde Asɛmpa no reba no anan yɛ fɛ.”
16Nanso ɛnyɛ wɔn nyinaa na wɔagye Asɛmpa no adi, sɛnea Yesaia kae se, “Awurade, hena na wagye yɛn asɛnka adi?” 17Ɛno de, na gyidi no fi asɛm no tie mu, nea yɛte fi Asɛmpa a ɛfa Kristo ho no mu. 18Nanso mibisa se: Wɔante ana? Mmom wɔtee:
“Wɔn nne akodu asase so mmaa nyinaa,
na wɔn nsɛm nso akodu asase ano.”
19Mibisa bio se, Israelfo ante ase ana? Nea edi kan, Mose ka se,
“Mɛma moatwe aman a wɔnyɛ me man mpo ho ninkunu.
Mede ɔman a wonni ntease bɛhyɛ mo abufuw.”
20Na Yesaia de akokoduru ka se,
“Wɔn a wɔnhwehwɛ me no huu me;
medaa me ho adi kyerɛɛ wɔn a wommisaa mʼase no.”
21Na nea ɔka faa Israelfo ho ne sɛ,
“Da mu nyinaa matrɛw me nsa mu
ama nnipa a wɔyɛ asoɔden ne nyiyiano.”
