Again the LORD said to Moses, "Now that you are going back to Egypt, be sure to perform before the king all the miracles which I have given you the power to do. But I will make the king stubborn, and he will not let the people go.

Moses and Aaron performed all these miracles before the king, but the LORD made him stubborn, and he would not let the Israelites leave his country.

But Sihon would not permit the people of Israel to pass through his territory. He gathered his army and went out to Jahaz in the wilderness and attacked the Israelites.

The only city that made peace with the people of Israel was Gibeon, where some of the Hivites lived. All the others were conquered in battle.

The LORD had made them determined to fight the Israelites, so that they would be condemned to total destruction and all be killed without mercy. This was what the LORD had commanded Moses.

But Sihon would not let Israel do it. He brought his whole army together, camped at Jahaz, and attacked Israel.

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."

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?"

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.

And he also wanted to reveal his abundant glory, which was poured out on us who are the objects of his mercy, those of us whom he has prepared to receive his glory.

I knew that you would prove to be stubborn, as rigid as iron and unyielding as bronze.