¹⁷ For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed^(A)—a righteousness that is by faith^(B) from first to last,^[a] just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”^[b](C)

God’s Wrath Against Sinful Humanity

¹⁸ The wrath of God^(D) is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness,

¹¹ persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch,^(A) Iconium^(B) and Lystra,^(C) the persecutions I endured.^(D) Yet the Lord rescued^(E) me from all of them.^(F)

²⁰ Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn^(A) while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.^{(B) 21} A woman giving birth to a child has pain^(C) because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. ²² So with you: Now is your time of grief,^(D) but I will see you again^(E) and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.^(F)

⁷ or because of these surpassingly great revelations.^(A) Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh,^(B) a messenger of Satan,^(C) to torment me. ⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.^{(D) 9} But he said to me, “My grace^(E) is sufficient for you, for my power^(F) is made perfect in weakness.^(G)”^(H) Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight^(I) in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships,^(J) in persecutions,^(K) in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.^(L)