¹⁹ And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass^(A) in front of you, and I will proclaim my name,^(B) the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.^(C)

Judgment and Salvation

²¹ At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.^(A) Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

¹² Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed^(A) in his name,^(B) he gave the right to become children of God^(C)— ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.^(D)

⁸ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”^[a](A)

⁴ Or do you show contempt for the riches^(A) of his kindness,^(B) forbearance^(C) and patience,^(D) not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?^(E)

¹⁵ For he says to Moses,

¹⁶ It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.^{(B) 17} For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”^{[b](C) 18} Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.^(D)

¹⁹ One of you will say to me:^(E) “Then why does God still blame us?^(F) For who is able to resist his will?”^{(G) 20} But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God?^(H) “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it,^(I) ‘Why did you make me like this?’”^{[c](J) 21} Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?^(K)

⁴ For he chose us^(A) in him before the creation of the world^(B) to be holy and blameless^(C) in his sight. In love^{(D) 5} he^[a] predestined^(E) us for adoption to sonship^[b](F) through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure^(G) and will— ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace,^(H) which he has freely given us in the One he loves.^{(I) 7} In him we have redemption^(J) through his blood,^(K) the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches^(L) of God’s grace ⁸ that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding,