Book of Common Prayer

²¹ I speak in-accordance-with my dishonor^[a]— how that we have been weak! But in whatever anyone may dare to boast— I am speaking in foolishness— I also dare. ²² Are they Hebrews? I also. Are they Israelites? I also. Are they seed of Abraham? I also. ²³ Are they servants of Christ? I speak being distraught^[b], I more— in far-more labors, in far-more prisons, in many-more beatings, in deaths^[c] often.

But I Will Boast In The Things Pertaining To My Weakness

²⁴ By Jews five-times I received forty lashes less one. ²⁵ Three-times I was beaten-with-rods. Once I was stoned. Three-times I was shipwrecked. I have done a night-and-day in the deep. ²⁶ On journeys often— in dangers from rivers, in dangers from robbers, in dangers from my nation^[d], in dangers from Gentiles, in dangers in the city, in dangers in the wilderness, in dangers at sea, in dangers among false-brothers. ²⁷ In labor and hardship, in watchings^[e] often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. ²⁸ Apart from the external^[f] things, there is the daily pressure^[g] on me, the concern for all the churches— ²⁹ who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is caused-to-fall, and I do not burn^[h]? ³⁰ If it-is-necessary^[i] to boast, I will boast the things of my weakness! ³¹ The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, the One being blessed^[j] forever, knows that I am not lying. ³² In Damascus, the ethnarch^[k] of Aretas^[l] the king was guarding the city of the Damascenes to seize me. ³³ And I was lowered in a basket through a window through the wall and escaped his hands.

The Parable of The Minas: Do Business With The Resources I Have Given You

¹¹ And while they were listening-to these things, having proceeded [to speak further], He spoke a parable because of His being near Jerusalem and their thinking^[a] that the kingdom of God was about to appear^[b] at-once. ¹² Therefore He said, “A certain well-born^[c] man traveled to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and to return. ¹³ And having called ten of his own slaves, he gave them ten minas^[d] and said to them, ‘Do business while I am coming’. ¹⁴ But his citizens were hating him, and they sent-forth a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this one to be-king over us’. ¹⁵ And it came about at his return, having received the kingdom, that he said that these slaves to whom he had given the money should be called to him in order that he might come-to-know what they gained-through-doing-business. ¹⁶ And the first one arrived, saying, ‘Master, your mina earned ten minas’. ¹⁷ And he said to him, ‘Very-well done, good slave. Because you proved-to-be faithful^[e] in a very-little thing— be having authority over ten cities’. ¹⁸ And the second one came, saying, ‘Your mina, master, made five minas’. ¹⁹ And he said also to this one, ‘And you— be over five cities’. ²⁰ And the other one came, saying, ‘Master, behold your mina, which I was holding, laying-away in a handkerchief. ²¹ For I was fearing you, because you are a harsh^[f] man. You take-up^[g] what you did not lay-down, and you reap what you did not sow’. ²² He says to him, ‘I will judge you out of your own mouth, evil slave. You knew that I am a harsh man, taking up what I did not lay-down and reaping what I did not sow^[h]! ²³ And for what reason did you not give my money to be on a [banker’s] table, and I, having come, would have collected it with interest?’ ²⁴ And he said to the ones standing-near, ‘Take the mina away from him and give it to the one having the ten minas’. ²⁵ And they said to him, ‘Master, he has ten minas [already]’. ²⁶ I say to you that to everyone having, it will be given. But from the one not having, even what he has will be taken away. ²⁷ However, bring here these enemies of mine— the ones not having wanted me to be king over them— and slay them in front of me”.