² And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people,^(A) for not everyone has faith.

³ And even if our gospel^(A) is veiled,^(B) it is veiled to those who are perishing.^{(C) 4} The god^(D) of this age^(E) has blinded^(F) the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ,^(G) who is the image of God.^(H)

³¹ Pray that I may be kept safe^(A) from the unbelievers in Judea and that the contribution^(B) I take to Jerusalem may be favorably received by the Lord’s people^(C) there,

⁸ We do not want you to be uninformed,^(A) brothers and sisters,^[a] about the troubles we experienced^(B) in the province of Asia.^(C) We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. ⁹ Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God,^(D) who raises the dead.^{(E) 10} He has delivered us from such a deadly peril,^(F) and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope^(G) that he will continue to deliver us,

¹⁶ But not all the Israelites accepted the good news.^(A) For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?”^[a](B)

²⁴ Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe.^(A)

¹⁸ For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan^(A) blocked our way.^(B)

³² If I fought wild beasts^(A) in Ephesus^(B) with no more than human hopes, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised,