¹⁶ And while he lingered, the men ^(A)took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the ^(B)Lord being merciful to him, ^(C)and they brought him out and set him outside the city.

¹⁵ For He says to Moses, ^(A)“I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.” ¹⁶ So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.

⁹ then ^(A)the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,

^5 (A)not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through ^(B)the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,

⁴ But God, ^(A)who is rich in mercy, because of His ^(B)great love with which He loved us, ^5 (C)even when we were dead in trespasses, ^(D)made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

Comfort in Suffering

^3 (A)Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,

^44 (A)No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me ^(B)draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.

¹³ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’

³⁵ But ^(A)love your enemies, ^(B)do good, and ^(C)lend, ^[a]hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and ^(D)you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. ^36 (E)Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.