¹⁴ And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot ^(A)had separated from him: “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are—^(B)northward, southward, eastward, and westward;

⁶ And you shall be to Me a ^(A)kingdom of priests and a ^(B)holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”

⁶ “For you are a ^[a]holy people to the Lord your God; ^(A)the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.

²⁴ For ^(A)I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land.

⁸ Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Because you have spoken nonsense and envisioned lies, therefore I am indeed against you,” says the Lord God. ⁹ “My hand will be ^(A)against the prophets who envision futility and who ^(B)divine lies; they shall not be in the assembly of My people, ^(C)nor be written in the record of the house of Israel, ^(D)nor shall they enter into the land of Israel. ^(E)Then you shall know that I am the Lord God.

⁸ For thus says the Lord of hosts: “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who ^(A)touches you touches the ^[a]apple of His eye.

God’s Judgment Defended

3 What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? ² Much in every way! Chiefly because ^(A)to them were committed the ^[a]oracles of God. ³ For what if ^(B)some did not believe? ^(C)Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? ^4 (D)Certainly not! Indeed, let ^(E)God be ^[b]true but ^(F)every man a liar. As it is written:

⁴ who are Israelites, ^(A)to whom pertain the adoption, ^(B)the glory, ^(C)the covenants, ^(D)the giving of the law, ^(E)the service of God, and ^(F)the promises;