14 What shall we say then? (A)Is there injustice on God's part? By no means! 15 For he says to Moses, (B)“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. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, (C)“For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 9:16 Greek not of him who wills or runs

14 What can we say, then? God is not unrighteous, is he? Of course not! 15 For he says to Moses, “I will be merciful to the person I want to be merciful to, and I will be kind to the person I want to be kind to.”[a] 16 Therefore, God’s choice[b] does not depend on a person’s will or effort, but on God himself, who shows mercy. 17 For the Scripture says about Pharaoh,

“I have raised you up for this very purpose,
    to demonstrate my power through you
and that my name might be proclaimed
    in all the earth.”[c]

18 Therefore, God[d] has mercy on whomever he chooses, and he hardens the heart of whomever he chooses.

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