(for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls),

And it came to pass, when Isaac was old and his eyes were so dim that he could not see, that he summoned Esau his older son and said to him, My son. And he answered him, Here am I.

Now therefore, please take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me.

Go now to the flock and bring me from there two choice kids of the goats, and I will make savory food from them for your father, such as he loves.

And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man.

And his mother said to him, Let your curse be upon me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, get them for me.

Your people shall be volunteers in the day of Your power; in the splendor of holiness, from the womb of the dawn, You have the dew of Your youth.

I am sought by those who asked not for Me; I am found by those who did not seek Me. I had said, Look to Me, Look to Me; to a nation that was not calling upon My name.

At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank You, Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and have revealed them to babes.

Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.

In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, I praise You, Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it was pleasing in Your sight.

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the authority to become children of God, to those believing into His name:

who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

The Spirit breathes where He wishes, and you hear His voice, but do not know where He comes from and where He goes. So is everyone who is born from the Spirit.

For you see your calling, brethren, that there are not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many of nobility.

and the low-born of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are,

But out of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who was made for us from God wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption;

but God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you are saved),

for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

But we owe thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief in the truth,

to which He called you through our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, led astray, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.

not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,

Of His own purpose He brought us forth by the Word of Truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

But you are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of His possession, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who did not have mercy but now have mercy.