15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’(A)

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15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?

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Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: “The seventh year, the year for canceling debts,(A) is near,” so that you do not show ill will(B) toward the needy among your fellow Israelites and give them nothing. They may then appeal to the Lord against you, and you will be found guilty of sin.(C)

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Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the Lord against thee, and it be sin unto thee.

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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](A)

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

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

22 What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience(L) the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction?(M) 23 What if he did this to make the riches of his glory(N) known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory(O) 24 even us, whom he also called,(P) not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?(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

15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.

18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?

20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?

21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:

23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,

24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

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22 adultery, greed,(A) malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.

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22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:

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23 But if your eyes are unhealthy,[a] your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 6:23 The Greek for unhealthy here implies stingy.

23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

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Jonah’s Anger at the Lord’s Compassion

But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry.(A) He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew(B) that you are a gracious(C) and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love,(D) a God who relents(E) from sending calamity.(F) Now, Lord, take away my life,(G) for it is better for me to die(H) than to live.”(I)

But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”(J)

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But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry.

And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.

Therefore now, O Lord, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.

Then said the Lord, Doest thou well to be angry?

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22 The stingy are eager to get rich
    and are unaware that poverty awaits them.(A)

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22 He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him.

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Saying 9

Do not eat the food of a begrudging host,
    do not crave his delicacies;(A)

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Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:

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Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters,(A) or you will be judged. The Judge(B) is standing at the door!(C)

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Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.

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18 He chose to give us birth(A) through the word of truth,(B) that we might be a kind of firstfruits(C) of all he created.

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18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

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made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions(A)—it is by grace you have been saved.(B)

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Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

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Made Alive in Christ

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,(A)

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And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

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11 In him we were also chosen,[a] having been predestined(A) according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose(B) of his will,

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Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 1:11 Or were made heirs

11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

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