Romans 9:16,18-19
Romans 9:16 American Standard Version (ASV)
So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that hath mercy.
Romans 9:18-19 American Standard Version (ASV)
So then he hath mercy on whom he will, and whom he will he hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he still find fault? For who withstandeth his will?
Romans 9:14-18 The Message (MSG)
Is that grounds for complaining that God is unfair? Not so fast, please. God told Moses, “I’m in charge of mercy. I’m in charge of compassion.” Compassion doesn’t originate in our bleeding hearts or moral sweat, but in God’s mercy. The same point was made when God said to Pharaoh, “I picked you as a bit player in this drama of my salvation power.” All we’re saying is that God has the first word, initiating the action in which we play our part for better or worse.
Romans 9:14-18-19 The Message (MSG)
Is that grounds for complaining that God is unfair? Not so fast, please. God told Moses, “I’m in charge of mercy. I’m in charge of compassion.” Compassion doesn’t originate in our bleeding hearts or moral sweat, but in God’s mercy. The same point was made when God said to Pharaoh, “I picked you as a bit player in this drama of my salvation power.” All we’re saying is that God has the first word, initiating the action in which we play our part for better or worse. Are you going to object, “So how can God blame us for anything since he’s in charge of everything? If the big decisions are already made, what say do we have in it?”
Romans 9:16 King James Version (KJV)
So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
Romans 9:18-19 King James Version (KJV)
Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?
Romans 9:16 New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995 (NASB1995)
So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.
Romans 9:18-19 New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995 (NASB1995)
So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires. You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?”
Romans 9:16 New Century Version (NCV)
So God will choose the one to whom he decides to show mercy; his choice does not depend on what people want or try to do.
Romans 9:18-19 New Century Version (NCV)
So God shows mercy where he wants to show mercy, and he makes stubborn the people he wants to make stubborn. So one of you will ask me: “Then why does God blame us for our sins? Who can fight his will?”
Romans 9:16 New International Version (NIV)
It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.
Romans 9:18-19 New International Version (NIV)
Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist his will?”
Romans 9:16 New King James Version (NKJV)
So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.
Romans 9:18-19 New King James Version (NKJV)
Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens. You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?”
Romans 9:16 Amplified Bible (AMP)
So then God’s choice is not dependent on human will, nor on human effort [the totality of human striving], but on God who shows mercy [to whomever He chooses—it is His sovereign gift].
Romans 9:18-19 Amplified Bible (AMP)
So then, He has mercy on whom He wills (chooses), and He hardens [the heart of] whom He wills. You will say to me then, “Why does He still blame me [for sinning]? For who [including myself] has [ever] resisted His will and purpose?”
Romans 9:16 New Living Translation (NLT)
So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it.
Romans 9:18-19 New Living Translation (NLT)
So you see, God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen. Well then, you might say, “Why does God blame people for not responding? Haven’t they simply done what he makes them do?”
Romans 9:16 The Passion Translation (TPT)
Again, this proves that God’s choice doesn’t depend on how badly someone wants it or tries to earn it, but it depends on God’s kindness and mercy.
Romans 9:18-19 The Passion Translation (TPT)
So again we see that it is entirely up to God to show mercy or to harden the hearts of whomever he chooses. Well then, one might ask, “If God is in complete control, how could he blame us? For who can resist whatever he wants done?”