⁷ therefore, brethren, in all our affliction and distress ^(A)we were comforted concerning you by your faith.

⁴ who ^(A)comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any ^[a]trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

Walk in Christ’s Commandments

⁴ I ^(A)rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father.

The Man of God and the Word of God

^10 (A)But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, ¹¹ persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me ^(B)at Antioch, ^(C)at Iconium, ^(D)at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And ^(E)out of them all the Lord delivered me. ¹² Yes, and ^(F)all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

⁸ For now we live, if you ^(A)stand fast in the Lord.

⁹ For what thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before our God,

²³ Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: ^(A)in labors more abundant, ^(B)in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, ^(C)in deaths often. ²⁴ From the Jews five times I received ^(D)forty ^(E)stripes minus one. ²⁵ Three times I was ^(F)beaten with rods; ^(G)once I was stoned; three times I ^(H)was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; ²⁶ in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, ^(I)in perils of my own countrymen, ^(J)in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; ²⁷ in weariness and toil, ^(K)in sleeplessness often, ^(L)in hunger and thirst, in ^(M)fastings often, in cold and nakedness— ²⁸ besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: ^(N)my deep concern for all the churches.

⁶ Nevertheless ^(A)God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by ^(B)the coming of Titus, ⁷ and not only by his coming, but also by the ^[a]consolation with which he was comforted in you, when he told us of your earnest desire, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more.

⁹ For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a ^(A)spectacle ^[a]to the world, both to angels and to men. ¹⁰ We are ^(B)fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ! ^(C)We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored! ¹¹ To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless. ^12 (D)And we labor, working with our own hands. ^(E)Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; ¹³ being defamed, we ^[b]entreat. ^(F)We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now.

The Joy of Titus

¹³ Therefore we have been comforted in your comfort. And we rejoiced exceedingly more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit ^(A)has been refreshed by you all.