Timothy and Epaphroditus

¹⁹ I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy^(A) to you soon,^(B) that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. ²⁰ I have no one else like him,^(C) who will show genuine concern for your welfare. ²¹ For everyone looks out for their own interests,^(D) not those of Jesus Christ. ²² But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father^(E) he has served with me in the work of the gospel. ²³ I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me.^{(F) 24} And I am confident^(G) in the Lord that I myself will come soon.

²⁵ But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker^(H) and fellow soldier,^(I) who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs.^{(J) 26} For he longs for all of you^(K) and is distressed because you heard he was ill. ²⁷ Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. ²⁸ Therefore I am all the more eager to send him,^(L) so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. ²⁹ So then, welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him,^{(M) 30} because he almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give me.^(N)

No Confidence in the Flesh

3 Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again,^(A) and it is a safeguard for you. ² Watch out for those dogs,^(B) those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh. ³ For it is we who are the circumcision,^(C) we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus,^(D) and who put no confidence in the flesh— ⁴ though I myself have reasons for such confidence.^(E)

If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: ⁵ circumcised^(F) on the eighth day, of the people of Israel,^(G) of the tribe of Benjamin,^(H) a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee;^{(I) 6} as for zeal,^(J) persecuting the church;^(K) as for righteousness based on the law,^(L) faultless.

⁷ But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss^(M) for the sake of Christ. ⁸ What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing^(N) Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ^{(O) 9} and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law,^(P) but that which is through faith in^[a] Christ—the righteousness^(Q) that comes from God on the basis of faith.^{(R) 10} I want to know^(S) Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings,^(T) becoming like him in his death,^{(U) 11} and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection^(V) from the dead.

Hezekiah’s Illness^(A)

38 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz^(B) went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order,^(C) because you are going to die; you will not recover.”^(D)

² Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, ³ “Remember, Lord, how I have walked^(E) before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion^(F) and have done what is good in your eyes.^(G)” And Hezekiah wept^(H) bitterly.

⁴ Then the word^(I) of the Lord came to Isaiah: ⁵ “Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David,^(J) says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears;^(K) I will add fifteen years^(L) to your life. ⁶ And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend^(M) this city.

⁷ “‘This is the Lord’s sign^(N) to you that the Lord will do what he has promised: ⁸ I will make the shadow cast by the sun go back the ten steps it has gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.’” So the sunlight went back the ten steps it had gone down.^(O)

⁹ A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery:

²¹ Isaiah had said, “Prepare a poultice of figs and apply it to the boil, and he will recover.”

²² Hezekiah had asked, “What will be the sign^(AZ) that I will go up to the temple of the Lord?”

Envoys From Babylon^(BA)

39 At that time Marduk-Baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon^(BB) sent Hezekiah letters and a gift, because he had heard of his illness and recovery. ² Hezekiah received the envoys^(BC) gladly and showed them what was in his storehouses—the silver, the gold,^(BD) the spices, the fine olive oil—his entire armory and everything found among his treasures.^(BE) There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them.

³ Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked, “What did those men say, and where did they come from?”

“From a distant land,^(BF)” Hezekiah replied. “They came to me from Babylon.”

⁴ The prophet asked, “What did they see in your palace?”

“They saw everything in my palace,” Hezekiah said. “There is nothing among my treasures that I did not show them.”

⁵ Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word^(BG) of the Lord Almighty: ⁶ The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your predecessors have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon.^(BH) Nothing will be left, says the Lord. ⁷ And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood who will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.^(BI)”

⁸ “The word of the Lord you have spoken is good,^(BJ)” Hezekiah replied. For he thought, “There will be peace and security in my lifetime.^(BK)”