Paul's Visions and His Thorn

12 I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and (A)revelations of the Lord.

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12 (A)For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it (B)through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

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20 And we know that the Son of God has come and (A)has given us understanding, so that we may know (B)him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and (C)eternal life.

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So (A)to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations,[a] (B)a thorn was given me in the flesh, (C)a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 12:7 Or hears from me, even because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations. So to keep me from becoming conceited

I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those (A)who seemed influential) the gospel that (B)I proclaim among the Gentiles, (C)in order to make sure I was not running or had not (D)run in vain.

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Concern for the Corinthian Church

11 (A)I have been a fool! You forced me to it, for I ought to have been commended by you. For I was (B)not at all inferior to these super-apostles, (C)even though I am nothing.

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10 And in this matter (A)I give my judgment: (B)this benefits you, who (C)a year ago started not only to do this work but also to desire to do it.

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Do All to the Glory of God

23 (A)“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up.

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13 At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me. 14 And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me (A)in the Hebrew language,[a] ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15 And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16 But rise and (B)stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, (C)to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, 17 (D)delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—(E)to whom I (F)am sending you 18 (G)to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from (H)the power of Satan to God, that they may receive (I)forgiveness of sins and (J)a place among those who are sanctified (K)by faith in me.’

19 “Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to (L)the heavenly vision,

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 26:14 Or the Hebrew dialect (probably Aramaic)

11 (A)The following night (B)the Lord stood by him and said, (C)“Take courage, for (D)as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must (E)testify also in Rome.”

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17 (A)“When I had returned to Jerusalem and (B)was praying in the temple, I fell into (C)a trance 18 and saw him saying to me, (D)‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ 19 And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another (E)I imprisoned and (F)beat those who believed in you. 20 And when the blood of Stephen (G)your witness was being shed, (H)I myself was standing by and (I)approving and (J)watching over the garments of those who killed him.’ 21 And he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you (K)far away to the Gentiles.’

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And the Lord said to Paul (A)one night in (B)a vision, (C)“Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent,

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10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named (A)Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, (B)“Here I am, Lord.” 11 And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man (C)of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and (D)lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, (E)how much evil he has done to (F)your (G)saints at Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from (H)the chief priests to bind all who (I)call on your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for (J)he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name (K)before the Gentiles and (L)kings and the children of Israel. 16 For (M)I will show him how much (N)he must suffer (O)for the sake of my name.” 17 So (P)Ananias departed and entered the house. And (Q)laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and (R)be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

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Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for (A)if I do not go away, (B)the Helper will not come to you. But (C)if (D)I go, (E)I will send him to you.

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The Lord Will Pour Out His Spirit

28 [a] (A)“And it shall come to pass afterward,
    that (B)I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;
(C)your sons and (D)your daughters shall prophesy,
    your old men shall dream dreams,
    and your young men shall see visions.
29 (E)Even on the male and female servants
    in those days I will pour out my Spirit.

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Footnotes

  1. Joel 2:28 Ch 3:1 in Hebrew

(A)I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, (B)a man clothed in linen, (C)with a belt of fine (D)gold from Uphaz around his waist. His body was like (E)beryl, his face (F)like the appearance of lightning, (G)his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and (H)legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and (I)the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude. (J)And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision, but a great trembling fell upon them, and they fled to hide themselves. So I was left alone and saw this great vision, and (K)no strength was left in me. My radiant appearance was fearfully changed,[a] (L)and I retained no strength. Then I heard the sound of his words, (M)and as I heard the sound of his words, I fell on my face in deep sleep (N)with my face to the ground.

10 And behold, (O)a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees.

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Footnotes

  1. Daniel 10:8 Hebrew My splendor was changed to ruin

24 (A)And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me (B)in the vision by the Spirit of God (C)into Chaldea, to the exiles. Then the vision that I had seen went up from me.

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And he said, “Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord make myself known to him (A)in a vision; I speak with him (B)in a dream.

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Paul's Sufferings as an Apostle

16 I repeat, (A)let no one think me foolish. But even if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little. 17 What I am saying (B)with this boastful confidence, (C)I say not as the Lord would[a] but as a fool. 18 Since (D)many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. 19 For you gladly bear with fools, (E)being wise yourselves! 20 For you bear it if someone (F)makes slaves of you, or (G)devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or (H)strikes you in the face. 21 To my shame, I must say, (I)we were too weak for that!

But whatever anyone else dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that. 22 Are they Hebrews? (J)So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they (K)servants of Christ? (L)I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, (M)far more imprisonments, (N)with countless beatings, and (O)often near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the (P)forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was (Q)beaten with rods. (R)Once I was stoned. Three times I (S)was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, (T)danger from my own people, (U)danger from Gentiles, (V)danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 (W)in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, (X)in hunger and thirst, often without food,[b] in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for (Y)all the churches. 29 (Z)Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?

30 (AA)If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 11:17 Greek not according to the Lord
  2. 2 Corinthians 11:27 Or often in fasting

Flee Sexual Immorality

12 (A)“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything.

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14 It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews (A)that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people.

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Ezekiel in Babylon

(A)In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the exiles by (B)the Chebar canal, (C)the heavens were opened, and I saw (D)visions of God.[a] On the fifth day of the month (it was (E)the fifth year of (F)the exile of King Jehoiachin), the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel (G)the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by (H)the Chebar canal, and (I)the hand of the Lord was upon him there.

The Glory of the Lord

As I looked, behold, (J)a stormy wind came (K)out of the north, and a great cloud, with (L)brightness around it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, (M)as it were gleaming metal.[b] And from the midst of it came the likeness of (N)four living creatures. (O)And this was their appearance: they had a human likeness, (P)but each had four faces, and each of them had four wings. Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf's foot. And they sparkled (Q)like burnished bronze. Under their wings (R)on their four sides (S)they had human hands. And the four had their faces and their wings thus: their wings touched one another. (T)Each one of them went straight forward, (U)without turning as they went. 10 As for the likeness of their faces, (V)each had a human face. The four had the face of a lion on the right side, the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and the four had the face of an eagle. 11 Such were their faces. And their wings were spread out above. Each creature had two wings, each of which touched the wing of another, while (W)two covered their bodies. 12 (X)And each went straight forward. (Y)Wherever the spirit[c] would go, they went, without turning as they went. 13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was (Z)like burning coals of fire, (AA)like the appearance of torches moving to and fro among the living creatures. (AB)And the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. 14 And the living creatures (AC)darted to and fro, (AD)like the appearance of a flash of lightning.

15 (AE)Now as I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, one for each of the four of them.[d] 16 (AF)As for the appearance of the wheels and their construction: their appearance was like (AG)the gleaming of beryl. (AH)And the four had the same likeness, their appearance and construction being as it were a wheel within a wheel. 17 (AI)When they went, they went (AJ)in any of their four directions[e] (AK)without turning as they went. 18 And their rims were tall and awesome, (AL)and the rims of all four were full of eyes all around. 19 (AM)And when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; (AN)and when the living creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose. 20 (AO)Wherever the spirit wanted to go, they went, and the wheels rose along with them, (AP)for the spirit of the living creatures[f] was in the wheels. 21 (AQ)When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; (AR)and when those rose from the earth, the wheels rose along with them, (AS)for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

22 Over the heads of the living creatures there was (AT)the likeness of an expanse, shining like awe-inspiring (AU)crystal, spread out above their heads. 23 And under the expanse their wings were (AV)stretched out straight, one toward another. (AW)And each creature had two wings covering its body. 24 And when they went, I heard the sound of their wings (AX)like the sound of many waters, like (AY)the sound of the (AZ)Almighty, a sound of tumult (BA)like the sound of an army. When they stood still, they let down their wings. 25 And there came a voice from above (BB)the expanse over their heads. When they stood still, they let down their wings.

26 And above the expanse over their heads there was (BC)the likeness of a throne, (BD)in appearance (BE)like sapphire;[g] and seated above the likeness of a throne was (BF)a likeness with a human appearance. 27 And (BG)upward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were (BH)gleaming metal, like the appearance of fire enclosed all around. And downward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and (BI)there was brightness around him.[h] 28 Like the appearance of (BJ)the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around.

Such was the appearance of the likeness of (BK)the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, (BL)I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 1:1 Or from God
  2. Ezekiel 1:4 Or amber; also verse 27
  3. Ezekiel 1:12 Or Spirit; also twice in verse 20 and once in verse 21
  4. Ezekiel 1:15 Hebrew of their faces
  5. Ezekiel 1:17 Hebrew on their four sides
  6. Ezekiel 1:20 Or the spirit of life; also verse 21
  7. Ezekiel 1:26 Or lapis lazuli
  8. Ezekiel 1:27 Or it

(A)how the mystery was made known to me (B)by revelation, (C)as I have written briefly.

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