³¹ For the Lord your God is a merciful^(A) God; he will not abandon^(B) or destroy^(C) you or forget^(D) the covenant with your ancestors, which he confirmed to them by oath.

²³ But the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion and showed concern for them because of his covenant^(A) with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To this day he has been unwilling to destroy^(B) them or banish them from his presence.^(C)

² God did not reject his people,^(A) whom he foreknew.^(B) Don’t you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: