¹⁷ comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word.^(A)

³ But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.^[a](A)

¹³ And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.^[a](A)

² and sent Timothy, our brother and God’s coworker^[a] in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you for the sake of your faith,^(A)

Benediction

²⁴ Now to him who is able to keep you from falling and to make you stand without blemish in the presence of his glory with rejoicing,^(A)

Paul’s Thanksgiving after Affliction

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation,^{(A) 4} who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God. ⁵ For just as the sufferings of Christ are abundant for us, so also our consolation is abundant through Christ.^{(B) 6} If we are being afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation; if we are being consoled, it is for your consolation, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we are also suffering.

¹³ May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.^(A)

¹⁸ Little children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth.^(A)

¹⁰ And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ,^[a] will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you.^(A)

²¹ Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.^(A)

²² But be doers of the word and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.^(B)