⁷ It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, ⁸ but ^(A)it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping ^(B)the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

⁶ But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, ⁷ and not all are children of Abraham ^(A)because they are his offspring, but ^(B)“Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” ⁸ This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but ^(C)the children of the promise are counted as offspring. ⁹ For this is what the promise said: ^(D)“About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.” ¹⁰ And not only so, but ^(E)also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, ¹¹ though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of ^(F)him who calls— ¹² she was told, ^(G)“The older will serve the younger.” ¹³ As it is written, ^(H)“Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

^4 (A)even as he ^(B)chose us in him ^(C)before the foundation of the world, that we should be ^(D)holy and blameless before him. In love ^5 (E)he predestined us^[a] for ^(F)adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, ^(G)according to the purpose of his will,