Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

⁸ But you, son of man, listen to what I say. Don’t be rebellious like those rebellious people. Open your mouth, and eat what I am giving to you.”

⁹ As I looked, I saw a hand stretched out toward me. In it was a scroll. ¹⁰ He spread the scroll in front of me. There was writing on the front and back. There were funeral songs, songs of mourning, and horrible things written on it.

3 The Lord said to me, “Son of man, eat what you find. Eat this scroll. Then speak to the people of Israel.” ² So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat.

³ He said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll I’m giving you, and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.

⁴ He said to me, “Son of man, go to the people of Israel, and speak my words to them. ⁵ I am not sending you to people whose language is hard to understand or difficult to speak. I am sending you to Israel. ⁶ I am not sending you to nations whose language is hard to understand, difficult to speak, or whose words you cannot understand. If I send you to those nations, they will certainly listen to you. ⁷ But the people of Israel will refuse to listen to you because they refuse to listen to me. All the people of Israel are very stubborn and hardheaded. ⁸ Yet, I will make you as stubborn and as hardheaded as they are. ⁹ I will make you as hard as a diamond, harder than stone. Don’t be afraid of them. Don’t be terrified in their presence, even though they are rebellious people.”

¹⁰ He also said to me, “Son of man, take to heart everything I have spoken to you, and listen closely. ¹¹ Go to the exiles, to your people. Whether they listen or not, tell them, ‘This is what the Almighty Lord says.’ ”

More Reasons for Paul to Brag

¹⁶ Again I say that no one should think that I’m a fool. But if you do, then take me for a fool so that I can also brag a little. ¹⁷ What I say as I start bragging is foolishness. It’s not something I would say if I were speaking for the Lord. ¹⁸ Since it’s common for people to brag, I’ll do it too. ¹⁹ You’re wise, so you’ll gladly put up with fools. ²⁰ When someone makes you slaves, consumes your wealth, seizes your property, orders you around, or slaps your faces, you put up with it. ²¹ I’m ashamed to admit it, but Timothy and I don’t have the strength to do those things to you.

Whatever other people dare to brag about, I, like a fool, can also brag about. ²² Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham’s descendants? So am I. ²³ Are they Christ’s servants? It’s insane to say it, but I’m a far better one. I’ve done much more work, been in prison many more times, been beaten more severely, and have faced death more often. ²⁴ Five times the Jewish leaders had me beaten with 39 lashes; ²⁵ three times Roman officials had me beaten with clubs. Once people tried to stone me to death; three times I was shipwrecked, and I drifted on the sea for a night and a day. ²⁶ Because I’ve traveled a lot, I’ve faced dangers from raging rivers, from robbers, from my own people, and from other people. I’ve faced dangers in the city, in the open country, on the sea, and from believers who turned out to be false friends. ²⁷ Because I’ve had to work so hard, I’ve often gone without sleep, been hungry and thirsty, and gone without food and without proper clothes during cold weather. ²⁸ Besides these external matters, I have the daily pressure of my anxiety about all the churches. ²⁹ When anyone is weak, I’m weak too. When anyone is caught in a trap, I’m also harmed.

³⁰ If I must brag, I will brag about the things that show how weak I am. ³¹ The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is praised forever, knows that I’m not lying. ³² The governor under King Aretas put guards around the city of Damascus to catch me. ³³ So I was let down in a basket through an opening in the wall and escaped from him.