12 But [a]as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become (A)children of God, (B)to those who [b]believe in His name, 13 (C)who were [c]born, not of [d]blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of a man, but of God.

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Footnotes

  1. John 1:12 Or all who received
  2. John 1:12 Or trust in
  3. John 1:13 Or fathered
  4. John 1:13 Lit bloods

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)

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14 (A)What shall we say then? (B)There is no injustice with God, is there? [a](C)Far from it! 15 For He says to Moses, “(D)I will have mercy on whomever I have mercy, and I will show compassion to whomever I show compassion.” 16 So then, it does not depend on the person who [b]wants it nor the one who [c](E)runs, but on (F)God who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “(G)For this very reason I raised you up, in order to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed [d]throughout the earth.” 18 So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He (H)hardens whom He desires.

19 (I)You will say to me then, “(J)Why does He still find fault? For (K)who has resisted His will?” 20 On the contrary, who are you, [e](L)you foolish person, who (M)answers back to God? (N)The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it? 21 Or does the potter not have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one object [f]for honorable use, and another [g]for common use? 22 [h]What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with great (O)patience objects of wrath (P)prepared for destruction? 23 And He did so to make known (Q)the riches of His glory upon (R)objects of mercy, which He (S)prepared beforehand for glory,

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 9:14 Lit May it never happen!
  2. Romans 9:16 Or wills nor
  3. Romans 9:16 I.e., to win mercy or favor
  4. Romans 9:17 Lit in all
  5. Romans 9:20 Lit O
  6. Romans 9:21 Lit for honor
  7. Romans 9:21 Lit for dishonor
  8. Romans 9:22 Lit But

14 What then shall we say?(A) Is God unjust? Not at all!(B) 15 For he says to Moses,

“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,
    and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”[a](C)

16 It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.(D) 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](E) 18 Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.(F)

19 One of you will say to me:(G) “Then why does God still blame us?(H) For who is able to resist his will?”(I) 20 But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God?(J) “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it,(K) ‘Why did you make me like this?’”[c](L) 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?(M)

22 What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience(N) the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction?(O) 23 What if he did this to make the riches of his glory(P) known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory(Q)

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 9:15 Exodus 33:19
  2. Romans 9:17 Exodus 9:16
  3. Romans 9:20 Isaiah 29:16; 45:9

Made Alive in Christ

And [a]you [b]were (A)dead [c]in your offenses and sins, in which you (B)previously walked according to the [d]course of (C)this world, according to (D)the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in (E)the [e]sons of disobedience. Among them [f]we too all (F)previously lived in (G)the lusts of our flesh, [g]indulging the desires of the flesh and of the [h]mind, and were (H)by nature (I)children of wrath, (J)just as the rest. But God, being (K)rich in mercy, because of (L)His great love with which He loved us, even when we were (M)dead [i]in our wrongdoings, made us alive together [j]with Christ ((N)by grace you have been saved), and (O)raised us up with Him, and (P)seated us with Him in (Q)the heavenly places in (R)Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the [k]boundless (S)riches of His grace in (T)kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For (U)by grace you have been saved (V)through faith; and [l]this is not of yourselves, it is (W)the gift of God; (X)not a result of works, so that (Y)no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, (Z)created in (AA)Christ Jesus for (AB)good works, which God (AC)prepared beforehand so that we would (AD)walk in them.

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Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 2:1 Lit being
  2. Ephesians 2:1 I.e., Gentile believers
  3. Ephesians 2:1 Or by reason of
  4. Ephesians 2:2 Lit age
  5. Ephesians 2:2 I.e., people opposed to God
  6. Ephesians 2:3 I.e., Jewish believers
  7. Ephesians 2:3 Lit doing
  8. Ephesians 2:3 Lit thoughts
  9. Ephesians 2:5 Or by reason of
  10. Ephesians 2:5 Two early mss in Christ
  11. Ephesians 2:7 Lit surpassing
  12. Ephesians 2:8 I.e., this salvation

Made Alive in Christ

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,(A) in which you used to live(B) when you followed the ways of this world(C) and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air,(D) the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.(E) All of us also lived among them at one time,(F) gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a](G) and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us,(H) God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions(I)—it is by grace you have been saved.(J) And God raised us up with Christ(K) and seated us with him(L) in the heavenly realms(M) in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace,(N) expressed in his kindness(O) to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace(P) you have been saved,(Q) through faith(R)—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works,(S) so that no one can boast.(T) 10 For we are God’s handiwork,(U) created(V) in Christ Jesus to do good works,(W) which God prepared in advance for us to do.

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Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 2:3 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit.