10. And this is not all. For Rebecca's two sons had the same father, our ancestor Isaac.
11-12. But in order that the choice of one son might be completely the result of God's own purpose, God said to her, “The elder will serve the younger.” He said this before they were born, before they had done anything either good or bad; so God's choice was based on his call, and not on anything they had done.
13. As the scripture says, “I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau.”
14. Shall we say, then, that God is unjust? Not at all.
15. For he said to Moses, “I will have mercy on anyone I wish; I will take pity on anyone I wish.”
16. So then, everything depends, not on what human beings want or do, but only on God's mercy.
17. For the scripture says to the king of Egypt, “I made you king in order to use you to show my power and to spread my fame over the whole world.”
18. So then, God has mercy on anyone he wishes, and he makes stubborn anyone he wishes.
19. But one of you will say to me, “If this is so, how can God find fault with anyone? Who can resist God's will?”
20. But who are you, my friend, to answer God back? A clay pot does not ask the man who made it, “Why did you make me like this?”
21. After all, the man who makes the pots has the right to use the clay as he wishes, and to make two pots from the same lump of clay, one for special occasions and the other for ordinary use.
22. And the same is true of what God has done. He wanted to show his anger and to make his power known. But he was very patient in enduring those who were the objects of his anger, who were doomed to destruction.