But the Lord loved your people of long ago very much. You are their children. And he chose you above all the other nations. His love and his promise remain with you to this very day.

耶和华但喜悦你的列祖，爱他们，从万民中拣选他们的后裔，就是你们，像今日一样。

然而，耶和华专爱你的列祖，爱他们，从万民中拣选你们，就是他们的后裔，像今日一样。

然而，耶和华专爱你的列祖，爱他们，从万民中拣选你们，就是他们的后裔，像今日一样。

但耶和华只喜爱你们的祖先，从万族中拣选了他们的后裔——你们，正如今日的情形。

但耶和华只喜悦你的列祖，爱他们；他从万民中拣选了他们的后裔，就是你们，像今日一样。

耶和華但喜悅你的列祖，愛他們，從萬民中揀選他們的後裔，就是你們，像今日一樣。

然而，耶和華專愛你的列祖，愛他們，從萬民中揀選你們，就是他們的後裔，像今日一樣。

然而，耶和華專愛你的列祖，愛他們，從萬民中揀選你們，就是他們的後裔，像今日一樣。

但耶和華只喜愛你們的祖先，從萬族中揀選了他們的後裔——你們，正如今日的情形。

但耶和華只喜悅你的列祖，愛他們；他從萬民中揀選了他們的後裔，就是你們，像今日一樣。

然而永恆主卻只傾心於你列祖而愛他們；他從萬族之民中揀選了你們做他們以後的苗裔、像今日一樣。

惟耶和華悅爾祖而愛之、於萬民中、選其苗裔即爾、有如今日、

惟耶和華眷愛爾祖、特於天下億兆中、遴選其裔、以為己民、即以今日之事為證。

雖然、主惟悅爾祖寵愛之、於萬民中特選其後裔、即爾曹、有如今日之事、

Yet the Lord set his affection on your ancestors and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations— as it is today.

Yet the Lord set his heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring after them, you above all peoples, as you are this day.

Yet the Lord chose your ancestors as the objects of his love. And he chose you, their descendants, above all other nations, as is evident today.

Yet the LORD had his heart set on your ancestors and loved them. He chose their descendants after them— he chose you out of all the peoples, as it is today.

Yet the Lord set His affection on your fathers, to love them, and He chose their descendants after them, you over all the other peoples, as it is this day.

The Lord delighted only in your fathers, to love them; and He chose their descendants after them, you above all peoples, as it is this day.

Only Jehovah had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and he chose their seed after them, even you above all peoples, as at this day.

Yet the Lord was devoted to your fathers and loved them. He chose their descendants after them— He chose you out of all the peoples, as it is today.

Only the LORD had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and he chose their seed after them,[ even] you above all people, as[ it is] this day.

However, only to your ancestors did he show his loving favor, and he chose you, their descendants, from all peoples– as is apparent today.

Only Yahweh had a delight in your fathers to love them, and he chose their offspring after them, even you above all peoples, as it is today.

He loved your people of long ago. He chose their children after them. So he brought you out of Egypt. He used his great strength to do it.

If the Lord is pleased with us, he’ll lead us into that land. It’s a land that has plenty of milk and honey. He’ll give it to us.

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.The Lord chose you because he loved you. He wanted to keep the promise he had made to your people of long ago. That’s why he used his mighty hand to bring you out of Egypt. He bought you back from the land where you were slaves. He set you free from the power of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.

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)So it doesn’t depend on what people want or what they do. It depends on God’s mercy.In Scripture, God says to Pharaoh,“ I had a special reason for making you king. I decided to use you to show my power. I wanted my name to become known everywhere on earth.”( Exodus 9:16)So God does what he wants to do. He shows mercy to one person and makes another stubborn.One of you will say to me,“ Then why does God still blame us? Who can oppose what he wants to do?”But you are a mere human being. So who are you to talk back to God? Scripture says,“ Can what is made say to the one who made it,‘ Why did you make me like this?’ ”( Isaiah 29:16; 45:9)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.What if God chose to show his great anger? What if he chose to make his power known? But he put up with the people he was angry with. They were made to be destroyed.What if he put up with them to show the riches of his glory to other people? Those other people are the ones he shows his mercy to. He made them to receive his glory.