Paul’s Vision and His Thorn

12 I must go on boasting.^(A) Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations^(B) from the Lord. ² I know a man in Christ^(C) who fourteen years ago was caught up^(D) to the third heaven.^(E) Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows.^{(F) 3} And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— ⁴ was caught up^(G) to paradise^(H) and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. ⁵ I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses.^{(I) 6} Even if I should choose to boast,^(J) I would not be a fool,^(K) because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, ⁷ or because of these surpassingly great revelations.^(L) Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh,^(M) a messenger of Satan,^(N) to torment me. ⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.^{(O) 9} But he said to me, “My grace^(P) is sufficient for you, for my power^(Q) is made perfect in weakness.^(R)”^(S) Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight^(T) in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships,^(U) in persecutions,^(V) in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.^(W)

²⁴ “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.^(A)

Do Not Worry^(B)

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry^(C) about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.^(D) Are you not much more valuable than they?^{(E) 27} Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life^[a]?^(F)

²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor^(G) was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?^{(H) 31} So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.^{(I) 33} But seek first his kingdom^(J) and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.^{(K) 34} Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Psalm 85^[a]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

Comfort for God’s People

¹⁴ From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch.^(A) On the Sabbath^(B) they entered the synagogue^(C) and sat down. ¹⁵ After the reading from the Law^(D) and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have a word of exhortation for the people, please speak.”

¹⁶ Standing up, Paul motioned with his hand^(E) and said: “Fellow Israelites and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me! ¹⁷ The God of the people of Israel chose our ancestors; he made the people prosper during their stay in Egypt; with mighty power he led them out of that country;^{(F) 18} for about forty years he endured their conduct^[a](G) in the wilderness;^{(H) 19} and he overthrew seven nations in Canaan,^(I) giving their land to his people^(J) as their inheritance.^{(K) 20} All this took about 450 years.

“After this, God gave them judges^(L) until the time of Samuel the prophet.^{(M) 21} Then the people asked for a king,^(N) and he gave them Saul^(O) son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin,^(P) who ruled forty years. ²² After removing Saul,^(Q) he made David their king.^(R) God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart;^(S) he will do everything I want him to do.’^(T)

²³ “From this man’s descendants^(U) God has brought to Israel the Savior^(V) Jesus,^(W) as he promised.^{(X) 24} Before the coming of Jesus, John preached repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel.^{(Y) 25} As John was completing his work,^(Z) he said: ‘Who do you suppose I am? I am not the one you are looking for.^(AA) But there is one coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’^(AB)

²⁶ “Fellow children of Abraham^(AC) and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation^(AD) has been sent.

The Birth of John the Baptist

⁵⁷ When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. ⁵⁸ Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.

⁵⁹ On the eighth day they came to circumcise^(A) the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, ⁶⁰ but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”^(B)

⁶¹ They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”

⁶² Then they made signs^(C) to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. ⁶³ He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.”^{(D) 64} Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak,^(E) praising God. ⁶⁵ All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea^(F) people were talking about all these things. ⁶⁶ Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.^(G)

Zechariah’s Song

⁶⁷ His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit^(H) and prophesied:^(I)

⁸⁰ And the child grew and became strong in spirit^[b];^(AB) and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.