So he decided long ago to adopt us. He adopted us as his children with all the rights children have. He did it because of what Jesus Christ has done. It pleased God to do it.

又因爱我们，就按着自己的意旨所喜悦的，预定我们藉着耶稣基督得儿子的名分，

他按着自己旨意所喜悦的，预定我们藉着耶稣基督得儿子的名分，

他按着自己旨意所喜悦的，预定我们藉着耶稣基督得儿子的名分，

上帝因为爱我们，就按照祂自己美好的旨意，预定我们借着耶稣基督得到做祂儿女的名分。

他又按着自己旨意所喜悦的，预定我们藉着耶稣基督得儿子的名分，

照着自己心愿的美意，预定我们藉着耶稣基督得着儿子的名份，归于他自己，

又因愛我們，就按着自己的意旨所喜悅的，預定我們藉着耶穌基督得兒子的名分，

他按着自己旨意所喜悅的，預定我們藉着耶穌基督得兒子的名分，

他按着自己旨意所喜悅的，預定我們藉着耶穌基督得兒子的名分，

上帝因為愛我們，就按照祂自己美好的旨意，預定我們藉著耶穌基督得到作祂兒女的名分。

他又按著自己旨意所喜悅的，預定我們藉著耶穌基督得兒子的名分，

他按着自己旨意所喜悅的、豫定我們藉着耶穌基督得了被立為子的名分、而歸於他，

照著自己心願的美意，預定我們藉著耶穌基督得著兒子的名份，歸於他自己，

依厥善旨、以愛預定我儕、由耶穌基督得為其子、

依厥善意、念耶穌基督、預定我儕為子、

又按其旨、預定我儕由耶穌基督得為其子、

蓋天主秉其仁慈、隨其意之所悅預定吾人緣耶穌基督、得為天主之眾嗣、

he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—

he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,

God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.

He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

He predestined us to adoption as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,

having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,

having foreordained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

He predestined us to be adopted through Jesus Christ for Himself, according to His favor and will,

Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

He did this by predestining us to adoption as his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the pleasure of his will–

having predestined us for adoption as children through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his desire,

We were also chosen to belong to him. God decided to choose us long ago in keeping with his plan. He works out everything to fit his plan and purpose.

God planned that those he had chosen would become like his Son. In that way, Christ will be the first and most honored among many brothers and sisters.And those God has planned for, he has also appointed to be saved. Those he has appointed, he has made right with himself. To those he has made right with himself, he has given his glory.

He came to set free those who were under the authority of the law. He wanted us to be adopted as children with all the rights children have.Because you are his children, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts. He is the Holy Spirit. By his power we call God Abba. Abba means Father.

Those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.The Spirit you received doesn’t make you slaves. Otherwise you would live in fear again. Instead, the Holy Spirit you received made you God’s adopted child. By the Spirit’s power we call God Abba. Abba means Father.The Spirit himself joins with our spirits. Together they tell us that we are God’s children.As his children, we will receive all that he has for us. We will share what Christ receives. But we must share in his sufferings if we want to share in his glory.

So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God by believing in Christ.

Some people did accept him and did believe in his name. He gave them the right to become children of God.

And that’s not all. We have the Holy Spirit as the promise of future blessing. But we also groan inside ourselves. We do this as we look forward to the time when God adopts us as full members of his family. Then he will give us everything he has for us. He will raise our bodies and give glory to them.

And,“ I will be your Father. You will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord who rules over all.”( 2 Samuel 7:14; 7:8)

Those who have victory will receive all this from me. I will be their God, and they will be my children.

He also prophesied that Jesus would die for God’s children scattered everywhere. He would die to bring them together and make them one.

he showed us the mystery of his plan. It was in keeping with what he wanted to do. It was what he had planned through Christ.

Have you completely forgotten this word of hope? It speaks to you as a father to his children. It says,“ My son, think of the Lord’s training as important. Do not lose hope when he corrects you.The Lord trains the one he loves. He corrects everyone he accepts as his son.”( Proverbs 3:11, 12)Put up with hard times. God uses them to train you. He is treating you as his children. What children are not trained by their parents?God trains all his children. But what if he doesn’t train you? Then you are not really his children. You are not God’s true sons and daughters at all.Besides, we have all had human fathers who trained us. We respected them for it. How much more should we be trained by the Father of spirits and live!

Keeping this in mind, we never stop praying for you. Our God has chosen you. We pray that he will make you worthy of his choice. We pray he will make every good thing you want to do come true. We pray that he will do this by his power. We pray that he will make perfect all that you have done by faith.

“ I myself said,“‘ I would gladly treat you like my children. I would give you a pleasant land. It is the most beautiful land any nation could have.’ I thought you would call me‘ Father.’ I hoped you would always obey me.

“ But the time will come when the people of Israel will be like the sand on the seashore. It can’t be measured or counted. Now it is said about them,‘ You are not my people.’ But at that time they will be called‘ children of the living God.’

God wisely planned that the world would not know him through its own wisdom. It pleased God to use the foolish things we preach to save those who believe.

Here is what happened. Rebekah’s twins had not even been born. They hadn’t done anything good or bad yet. So they show that God’s purpose is based firmly on his free choice.It was not because of anything they did but because of God’s choice. So Rebekah was told,“ The older son will serve the younger one.”( Genesis 25:23)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.

At that time Jesus was full of joy through the Holy Spirit. He said,“ I praise you, Father. You are Lord of heaven and earth. You have hidden these things from wise and educated people. But you have shown them to little children. Yes, Father. This is what you wanted to do.

God is working in you. He wants your plans and your acts to fulfill his good purpose.

You have just now called out to me. You said,‘ My Father, you have been my friend ever since I was young.

He considers all the nations on earth to be nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven. He does what he wants with the nations of the earth. No one can hold back his hand. No one can say to him,“ What have you done?”

Jesus said,“ Do not hold on to me. I have not yet ascended to the Father. Instead, go to those who believe in me. Tell them,‘ I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ”

God has made everything. He is now bringing his many sons and daughters to share in his glory. It is only right that Jesus is the one to lead them into their salvation. That’s because God made him perfect by his sufferings.And Jesus, who makes people holy, and the people he makes holy belong to the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters.He says,“ I will announce your name to my brothers and sisters. I will sing your praises among those who worship you.”( Psalm 22:22)Again he says,“ I will put my trust in him.”( Isaiah 8:17) And again he says,“ Here I am. Here are the children God has given me.”( Isaiah 8:18)Those children have bodies made out of flesh and blood. So Jesus became human like them in order to die for them. By doing this, he could break the power of the devil. The devil is the one who rules over the kingdom of death.Jesus could set people free who were afraid of death. All their lives they were held as slaves by that fear.

Yes, Father. This is what you wanted to do.

The men of Nineveh will stand up on judgment day with the people now living. And the Ninevites will prove that those people are guilty. The men of Nineveh turned away from their sins when Jonah preached to them. And now something more important than Jonah is here.

I, Paul, am writing this letter. I have been chosen to be an apostle of Christ Jesus just as God planned. Our brother Sosthenes joins me in writing.

But he did not sleep with her until she gave birth to a son. And Joseph gave him the name Jesus.