¹⁸ So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

²⁰ For it was the Lord's doing ^(A)to harden their hearts that they should come against Israel in battle, in order that they should be devoted to destruction and should receive no mercy but be destroyed, ^(B)just as the Lord commanded Moses.

¹⁵ For he says to Moses, ^(A)“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” ¹⁶ So then it depends not on human will or exertion,^[a] but on God, who has mercy.

²¹ And the Lord said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the ^(A)miracles that I have put in your power. But ^(B)I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.

¹⁰ and with all wicked deception for ^(A)those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. ¹¹ Therefore ^(B)God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe ^(C)what is false, ¹² in order that all may be condemned ^(D)who did not believe the truth but ^(E)had pleasure in unrighteousness.

⁷ What then? ^(A)Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest ^(B)were hardened, ⁸ as it is written,

³⁰ But ^(A)Sihon the king of ^(B)Heshbon would not let us pass by him, for the Lord your God ^(C)hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, that he might give him into your hand, as he is this day.

²⁰ Now ^(A)the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, ^(B)grace abounded all the more, ²¹ so that, ^(C)as sin reigned in death, ^(D)grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

²⁴ Therefore ^(A)God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to ^(B)the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, ²⁵ because they exchanged the truth about God for ^(C)a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, ^(D)who is blessed forever! Amen.

²⁶ For this reason ^(E)God gave them up to ^(F)dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; ²⁷ and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, ^(G)men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

²⁸ And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, ^(H)God gave them up to ^(I)a debased mind to do ^(J)what ought not to be done.