Delivered from Suffering

⁸ For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of ^(A)our ^[a]trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life.

Cast Down but Unconquered

⁷ But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, ^(A)that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. ⁸ We are ^(B)hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not ^(C)forsaken; ^(D)struck down, but not destroyed— ^10 (E)always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, ^(F)that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. ¹¹ For we who live ^(G)are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. ¹² So then death is working in us, but life in you.

³² If, in the manner of men, ^(A)I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me? If the dead do not rise, ^(B)“Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”

⁸ You are already full! ^(A)You are already rich! You have reigned as kings without us—and indeed I could wish you did reign, that we also might reign with you!

⁹ For ^(A)a great and effective door has opened to me, and ^(B)there are many adversaries.

²³ And ^(A)about that time there arose a great commotion about ^(B)the Way. ²⁴ For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of ^[a]Diana, brought ^(C)no small profit to the craftsmen. ²⁵ He called them together with the workers of similar occupation, and said: “Men, you know that we have our prosperity by this trade. ²⁶ Moreover you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that ^(D)they are not gods which are made with hands. ²⁷ So not only is this trade of ours in danger of falling into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Diana may be despised and ^[b]her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worship.”

²⁸ Now when they heard this, they were full of wrath and cried out, saying, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!” ²⁹ So the whole city was filled with confusion, and rushed into the theater with one accord, having seized ^(E)Gaius and ^(F)Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul’s travel companions. ³⁰ And when Paul wanted to go in to the people, the disciples would not allow him. ³¹ Then some of the ^[c]officials of Asia, who were his friends, sent to him pleading that he would not venture into the theater. ³² Some therefore cried one thing and some another, for the assembly was confused, and most of them did not know why they had come together. ³³ And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And ^(G)Alexander ^(H)motioned with his hand, and wanted to make his defense to the people. ³⁴ But when they found out that he was a Jew, all with one voice cried out for about two hours, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!”

³⁵ And when the city clerk had quieted the crowd, he said: “Men of Ephesus, what man is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple guardian of the great goddess ^[d]Diana, and of the image which fell down from ^[e]Zeus?

David Allied with the Philistines

27 And David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish someday by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape to the land of the Philistines; and Saul will ^[a]despair of me, to seek me anymore in any part of Israel. So I shall escape out of his hand.”

³ Then David took an oath again, and said, “Your father certainly knows that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said, ‘Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved.’ But ^(A)truly, as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.”