⁷ for this reason, brothers,^[a] in all our distress and affliction ^(A)we have been comforted about you through your faith.

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

All Scripture Is Breathed Out by God

^10 (A)You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, ¹¹ my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me ^(B)at Antioch, ^(C)at Iconium, and ^(D)at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet ^(E)from them all ^(F)the Lord rescued me. ¹² Indeed, all who desire to ^(G)live a godly life in Christ Jesus ^(H)will be persecuted,

Walking in Truth and Love

^4 (A)I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father.

⁸ For now we live, if you ^(A)are standing fast in the Lord. ⁹ For ^(B)what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God,

²³ Are they ^(A)servants of Christ? ^(B)I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, ^(C)far more imprisonments, ^(D)with countless beatings, and ^(E)often near death. ²⁴ Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the ^(F)forty lashes less one. ²⁵ Three times I was ^(G)beaten with rods. ^(H)Once I was stoned. Three times I ^(I)was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; ²⁶ on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, ^(J)danger from my own people, ^(K)danger from Gentiles, ^(L)danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; ^27 (M)in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, ^(N)in hunger and thirst, often without food,^[a] in cold and exposure. ²⁸ And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for ^(O)all the churches.

¹³ Therefore ^(A)we are comforted.

And besides our own comfort, we rejoiced still more at the joy of Titus, because his spirit ^(B)has been refreshed by you all.

⁶ But ^(A)God, who comforts the downcast, ^(B)comforted us by the coming of Titus, ⁷ and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted by you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more.

⁹ For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, ^(A)like men sentenced to death, because we ^(B)have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. ^10 (C)We are fools for Christ's sake, but ^(D)you are wise in Christ. ^(E)We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. ¹¹ To the present hour ^(F)we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and ^(G)buffeted and ^(H)homeless, ¹² and we ^(I)labor, working with our own hands. ^(J)When reviled, we bless; ^(K)when persecuted, we endure; ¹³ when slandered, we entreat. ^(L)We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, ^(M)the refuse of all things.