Book of Common Prayer

Make Room For Us In Your Hearts

² Make-room-for us— we wronged no one, we corrupted^[a] no one, we exploited^[b] no one. ³ I am not speaking for your condemnation. For I have said-before that you are in our hearts so as to die-together and to live-together. ⁴ There is great confidence in me toward you. There is much boasting by me about you.

When I Found Titus In Macedonia, I Was Comforted By His Report About You

I have been filled with comfort. I am super-abounding with joy in all our affliction. ⁵ For indeed we having come to Macedonia^[c], our flesh had no rest, but we were being afflicted in every way— battles^[d] outside, fears inside. ⁶ But the One comforting the downcast^[e], God, comforted us by the coming of Titus; ⁷ and not only by his coming, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted over you while reporting to us your yearning, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced more.

I Am Rejoicing At Your Repentance And Actions After You Received My Letter

⁸ Because even though I grieved you by the letter^[f], I do not regret it. Even though I was regretting it (for I see that that letter grieved you, even though for an hour), ⁹ now I am rejoicing— not that you were grieved, but that you were grieved into repentance. For you were grieved in-accordance-with God, in order that you might suffer-loss in nothing by us. ¹⁰ For the grief in accordance with God works unregretted repentance leading-to salvation. But the grief of the world produces death. ¹¹ For behold this very thing— the being grieved in accordance with God— how much earnestness^[g] it produced in you; even a defense^[h], even indignation^[i], even fear, even yearning, even zeal, even punishment^[j]. In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be pure in the matter. ¹² So even though I wrote to you [causing grief], it was not^[k] for the sake of the one having done wrong, nor for the sake of the one having been wronged, but for the sake of making your earnestness for us evident to you in the sight of God. ¹³ For this reason, we have been comforted.

I Rejoiced Even More At The Joy of Titus Over You

But in addition to our comfort, we rejoiced even more abundantly over the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. ¹⁴ Because if I have boasted anything to him about you, I was not put-to-shame. But as we spoke all things to you in truth, so also our boasting before Titus proved-to-be the truth. ¹⁵ And his deep-feelings are especially for you, while remembering the obedience of you all— how you received him with fear and trembling. ¹⁶ I am rejoicing because in everything I am confident in you.

Jesus Is Asked When The Kingdom Is Coming. The Kingdom Is Within You

²⁰ And having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God is coming, He responded to them and said, “The kingdom of God is not coming with observation^[a], ²¹ nor will they say, ‘Behold— here it is’, or, ‘There it is’. For behold— the kingdom of God is within^[b] you”.

The Coming of The Son Will Be Like Lightning

²² And He said to the disciples, “Days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. ²³ And they will say to you, ‘Behold— there He is’, or, ‘Behold— here He is’. Do not go, nor pursue them. ²⁴ For just like the lightning flashing out of the one part under heaven shines^[c] to the other part under heaven, so will the Son of Man be in His day. ²⁵ But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.

The Coming of The Son Will Be Like The Days of Noah And Lot

²⁶ “And as it happened in the days of Noah [in Gen 6-7], so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man— ²⁷ they were eating, drinking, marrying, being given-in-marriage, until which day^[d] Noah entered into the ark and the flood came and destroyed everyone. ²⁸ Likewise, just as it happened in the days of Lot [in Gen 19]— they were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building. ²⁹ But on the day Lot departed from Sodom, it rained fire and sulphur from heaven and destroyed everyone. ³⁰ It will be^[e] the same way on the day the Son of Man is revealed. ³¹ On that day, let he who will be on the housetop and his things in the house not go down to take them. And let the one in a field likewise not turn-back to the things behind. ³² Remember Lot’s wife. ³³ Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it. But whoever loses it will keep it alive. ³⁴ I say to you, on this night there will be two people^[f] on one bed— the one will be taken^[g], and the other will be left. ³⁵ There will be two women grinding at the same place— the one will be taken, and the other will be left. ^{36 [h] 37} And having responded, they say to Him, “Where, Lord?” And the One said to them, “Where^[i] the body is, there also^[j] the vultures will be gathered-together”.