The Lord chose you because he loved you very much. He didn’t choose you because you had more people than other nations. In fact, you had the smallest number of all.

“耶和华专爱你们，拣选你们，并非因你们的人数多于别民，原来你们的人数在万民中是最少的。

耶和华专爱你们，拣选你们，并非因你们人数比任何民族多，其实你们的人数在各民族中是最少的。

耶和华专爱你们，拣选你们，并非因你们人数比任何民族多，其实你们的人数在各民族中是最少的。

“耶和华喜爱你们、拣选你们，不是因为你们的人口比别的民族多——其实你们在万族中是最小的——

耶和华喜爱你们，拣选你们，并不是因为你们的人数比别的民族多，其实你们的人数在万族中是最少的；

「耶和華專愛你們，揀選你們，並非因你們的人數多於別民，原來你們的人數在萬民中是最少的。

耶和華專愛你們，揀選你們，並非因你們人數比任何民族多，其實你們的人數在各民族中是最少的。

耶和華專愛你們，揀選你們，並非因你們人數比任何民族多，其實你們的人數在各民族中是最少的。

「耶和華喜愛你們、揀選你們，不是因為你們的人口比別的民族多——其實你們在萬族中是最小的——

耶和華喜愛你們，揀選你們，並不是因為你們的人數比別的民族多，其實你們的人數在萬族中是最少的；

永恆主傾心於你們，揀選你們，並不是因為你們比任何別族之民多（你們在萬族之民中原是最少的）；

耶和華悅爾選爾、非為爾多於他邦之民、爾數較之維寡、

爾較凡民、其數維寡、耶和華愛爾擇爾、非為爾曹眾多也、

主悅爾、選擇爾、非為爾較諸國之民、人數眾多、爾原較諸民、人數維寡、

The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples.

It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples,

“ The Lord did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations!

“ The LORD had his heart set on you and chose you, not because you were more numerous than all peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples.

“ The Lord did not make you His beloved nor choose you because you were greater in number than any of the peoples, since you were the fewest of all peoples,

The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples;

Jehovah did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all peoples:

“ The Lord was devoted to you and chose you, not because you were more numerous than all peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples.

The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye[ were] the fewest of all people:

It is not because you were more numerous than all the other peoples that the LORD favored and chose you– for in fact you were the least numerous of all peoples.

Yahweh didn’t set his love on you nor choose you, because you were more in number than any people; for you were the fewest of all peoples;

Long ago, your people went down into Egypt. The total number of them was 70. And now the Lord your God has made you as many as the stars in the sky.

And if they are chosen by grace, then they can’t work for it. If that were true, grace wouldn’t be grace anymore.

Isn’t the potter free to make different kinds of pots out of the same lump of clay? Some are for special purposes. Others are for ordinary use.

Lord, may glory be given to you, not to us. You are loving and faithful.

“ Little flock, do not be afraid. Your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.

Here is what happened. Rebekah’s twins had not even been born. They hadn’t done anything good or bad yet. So they show that God’s purpose is based firmly on his free choice.It was not because of anything they did but because of God’s choice. So Rebekah was told,“ The older son will serve the younger one.”( Genesis 25:23)It is written,“ I chose Jacob instead of Esau.”( Malachi 1:2, 3)What should we say then? Is God unfair? Not at all!He said to Moses,“ I will have mercy on whom I have mercy. I will show love to those I love.”( Exodus 33:19)

Here is what love is. It is not that we loved God. It is that he loved us and sent his Son to give his life to pay for our sins.

So God does what he wants to do. He shows mercy to one person and makes another stubborn.

See what amazing love the Father has given us! Because of it, we are called children of God. And that’s what we really are! The world doesn’t know us because it didn’t know him.

Consider Abraham. He is the father of your people. Think about Sarah. She is your mother. When I chose Abraham, he did not have any children. But I blessed him and gave him many of them.

But the gate is small and the road is narrow that leads to life. Only a few people find it.

Isaiah cries out concerning Israel. He says,“ The number of people from Israel may be like the sand by the sea. But only a few of them will be saved.The Lord will carry out his sentence. He will be quick to carry it out on earth, once and for all.”( Isaiah 10:22, 23)Earlier Isaiah had said,“ The Lord who rules over all left us children and grandchildren. If he hadn’t, we would have become like Sodom. We would have been like Gomorrah.”( Isaiah 1:9)