Romans 9:20–21

¹⁶Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter’s clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?

⁹Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?

¹⁰Woe unto him that saith unto his father, What begettest thou? or to the woman, What hast thou brought forth?

¹¹Thus saith the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me.

⁸But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.

¹³Why dost thou strive against him? for he giveth not account of any of his matters.

²³Who hath enjoined him his way? or who can say, Thou hast wrought iniquity?

²Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.

¹⁵Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?

⁵Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.

³Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest?

²⁰Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

²Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?

³Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.

⁸Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?

²I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.

³Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.

⁴Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.

⁵I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.

⁶Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

²⁰But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

⁵Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.

⁸He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

¹THEREFORE thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.

⁹Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;

¹⁶For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?

⁸But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.

²⁰But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.

²¹If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.

⁴The Lord hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

³Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.

⁴And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

⁵Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

⁶O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.

¹⁵But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:

²²What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:

²³And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,

¹¹(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)

¹⁸Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

⁸Israel is swallowed up: now shall they be among the Gentiles as a vessel wherein is no pleasure.

²⁸Is this man Coniah a despised broken idol? is he a vessel wherein is no pleasure? wherefore are they cast out, he and his seed, and are cast into a land which they know not?