³⁰What shall we say, then? ^sThat Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, ^ta righteousness that is by faith; ³¹but that Israel ^uwho pursued a law that would lead to righteousness⁴ ^vdid not succeed in reaching that law. ³²Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the ^wstumbling stone, ³³as it is written,

^x“Behold, I am laying in Zion ^ya stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense;

^zand whoever believes in him will not be ^aput to shame.”

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Footnotes

4Greek a law of righteousness

Cross references

s[ch. 10:20]
tch. 1:17; 3:21, 22; 10:6; Gal. 2:16; 3:24; Phil. 3:9; Heb. 11:7
u[ch. 10:2, 3; 11:7]
v[Gal. 5:4]
wSee 1 Pet. 2:8
x 1 Pet. 2:6, 7; Cited from Isa. 28:16; [Ps. 118:22]
y Isa. 8:14
zch. 10:11
a Isa. 49:23; Joel 2:26, 27

In other versions

NIVNew International Version (2011)

What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone. As it is written:

“See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble

and a rock that makes them fall,

and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame.”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

What should we say then? Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained righteousness—namely the righteousness that comes from faith. But Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not achieved the righteousness of the law. Why is that? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone. As it is written,

Look, I am putting a stone in Zion to stumble over

and a rock to trip over,

and the one who believes on him

will not be put to shame.

NLTNew Living Translation

What does all this mean? Even though the Gentiles were not trying to follow God’s standards, they were made right with God. And it was by faith that this took place. But the people of Israel, who tried so hard to get right with God by keeping the law, never succeeded. Why not? Because they were trying to get right with God by keeping the law instead of by trusting in him. They stumbled over the great rock in their path. God warned them of this in the Scriptures when he said,

“I am placing a stone in Jerusalem that makes people stumble,

a rock that makes them fall.

But anyone who trusts in him

will never be disgraced.”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness—even the righteousness that is by faith. But Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, did not attain to the law. Why that? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if by works. They stumbled over the stone that causes people to stumble, just as it is written,

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble,

and a rock that causes them to fall,

and the one who believes in him will not be put to shame.”

KJV 1900King James Version

What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

Public Domain