²³ that I will accept nothing belonging to you,^(A) not even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’

¹⁶ The prophet answered, “As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing.” And even though Naaman urged him, he refused.^(A)

⁹ And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed.^(A) I have kept myself from being a burden to you^(B) in any way, and will continue to do so. ¹⁰ As surely as the truth of Christ is in me,^(C) nobody in the regions of Achaia^(D) will stop this boasting^(E) of mine. ¹¹ Why? Because I do not love you? God knows^(F) I do!^(G)

¹² And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about.

¹⁵ The Jews in Susa came together on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, and they put to death in Susa three hundred men, but they did not lay their hands on the plunder.^(A)

¹⁶ Meanwhile, the remainder of the Jews who were in the king’s provinces also assembled to protect themselves and get relief^(B) from their enemies.^(C) They killed seventy-five thousand of them^(D) but did not lay their hands on the plunder.^(E)

⁵ Keep your lives free from the love of money^(A) and be content with what you have,^(B) because God has said,

¹⁴ Now I am ready to visit you for the third time,^(A) and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents,^(B) but parents for their children.^(C)

²⁰ Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said to himself, “My master was too easy on Naaman, this Aramean, by not accepting from him what he brought. As surely as the Lord^(A) lives, I will run after him and get something from him.”

⁸ But the man of God answered the king, “Even if you were to give me half your possessions,^(A) I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread^(B) or drink water here.