¹⁹ serving the Lord with all humility and with tears, enduring the trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews.

⁴ For I wrote you out of much distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you grief but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.

³ where he stayed for three months. He was about to set sail for Syria when a plot was made against him by the Jews, so he decided to return through Macedonia.^(A)

²⁴ since you know that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward; you serve the Lord Christ.^(A)

¹¹ Do not lag in zeal; be ardent in spirit; serve the Lord.

⁷ even considering the exceptional character of the revelations. Therefore, to keep^[a] me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated.^{[b] 8} Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me,^{(A) 9} but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power^[c] is made perfect in weakness.” So I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.^{(B) 10} Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ, for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.^(C)

⁵ For even when we came into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted in every way—disputes without and fears within.^(A)

⁷ But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.^{(A) 8} We are afflicted in every way but not crushed, perplexed but not driven to despair, ⁹ persecuted but not forsaken, struck down but not destroyed, ¹⁰ always carrying around in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies.^{(B) 11} For we who are living are always being handed over to death for Jesus’s sake, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our mortal flesh.

¹⁹ But Jews came there from Antioch and Iconium and won over the crowds. Then they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead.^{(A) 20} But when the disciples surrounded him, he got up and went into the city. The next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe.^(B)