⁶ For you are a people holy^(A) to the Lord your God.^(B) The Lord your God has chosen^(C) you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.^(D)

⁷ The Lord did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous^(E) than other peoples, for you were the fewest^(F) of all peoples.^{(G) 8} But it was because the Lord loved^(H) you and kept the oath he swore^(I) to your ancestors that he brought you out with a mighty hand^(J) and redeemed^(K) you from the land of slavery,^(L) from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

¹⁵ Yet the Lord set his affection on your ancestors and loved^(A) them, and he chose you,^(B) their descendants, above all the nations—as it is today.^(C)

⁵ However, the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam but turned the curse^(A) into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God loves^(B) you.

³ The Lord appeared to us in the past,^[a] saying:

God’s Love for Israel

Israel Doubts God’s Love

² “I have loved^(A) you,” says the Lord.

“But you ask,^(B) ‘How have you loved us?’

“Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob,^(C)