Israel Doubts God’s Love

² “I have loved^(A) you,” says the Lord.

“But you ask,^(B) ‘How have you loved us?’

“Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob,^{(C) 3} but Esau I have hated,^(D) and I have turned his hill country into a wasteland^(E) and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.^(F)”

⁴ Edom^(G) may say, “Though we have been crushed, we will rebuild^(H) the ruins.”

But this is what the Lord Almighty says: “They may build, but I will demolish.^(I) They will be called the Wicked Land, a people always under the wrath of the Lord.^{(J) 5} You will see it with your own eyes and say, ‘Great^(K) is the Lord—even beyond the borders of Israel!’^(L)

¹⁰ Not only that, but Rebekah’s children were conceived at the same time by our father Isaac.^{(A) 11} Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad^(B)—in order that God’s purpose^(C) in election might stand: ¹² not by works but by him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”^{[a](D) 13} Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”^[b](E)

¹⁴ What then shall we say?^(F) Is God unjust? Not at all!^{(G) 15} For he says to Moses,

¹⁶ It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.^(I)