13. As the Scriptures say, “I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau.”
14. So what does this mean? That God is not fair? We cannot say that.
15. God said to Moses, “I will show mercy to anyone I want to show mercy to. I will show pity to anyone I choose.”
16. So God will choose anyone he decides to show mercy to, and his choice does not depend on what people want or try to do.
17. In the Scriptures God says to Pharaoh: “I made you king so that you could do this for me. I wanted to show my power through you. I wanted my name to be announced throughout the world.”
18. So God shows mercy to those he wants to show mercy to and makes stubborn those he wants to make stubborn.
19. So one of you will ask me, “If God controls what we do, why does he blame us for our sins?”
20. Don’t ask that. You are only human and have no right to question God. A clay jar does not question the one who made it. It does not say, “Why did you make me like this?”
21. The one who makes the jar can make anything he wants. He uses the same clay to make different things. He might make one thing for special purposes and another for daily use.
22. It is the same way with what God has done. He wanted to show his anger and to let people see his power. But he patiently endured those he was angry with—people who were ready to be destroyed.
23. He waited with patience so that he could make known the riches of his glory to the people he has chosen to receive his mercy. God has already prepared them to share his glory.
24. We are those people, the ones God chose not only from the Jews but also from those who are not Jews.