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16: 13.

Be men. Be strong. Let everything you do be

done in a spirit of love.

Now, brothers, you know that the household of Stephanas is the first-fruits of Greece, and that they set themselves to serve those devoted to Christ. So I urge you also to show deference to such as these, and to every fellow-worker and laborer. I am glad Stephanas, and Fortunatus, and Achaicus have come. For they have made up for your absence. For they cheered my heart and yours also. So become thoroughly acquainted with such men.

The churches of Asia Minor send you their best wishes.

Aquilla and Priscilla and the Church which meets at their house send you many good wishes as followers of the Lord.

All our brothers send you their best wishes.
Greet each other with a kiss of devotion.

The best wishes of myself, Paul, with my own hand.

If any one does not love the Lord, let him be devoted to destruction. The Lord is coming. My love to all of you in Christ Jesus.

II. CORINTHIANS.

Paul,

By the will of God,

An Apostle of Jesus Christ,

And Timothy our brother,

To the Church of God which is in Corinth,

With all the devoted ones in the whole of Greece: May favor be yours, and peace,

From God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessed be the God

And Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

The Father from whom all mercies flow,
The God from whom all encouragement comes,
He who encourages us in all our troubles,
So that we may be able to encourage those
Who are in any trouble,

By means of the encouragement with which
We ourselves are encouraged by God.

For just as the sufferings of the Christ keep overflowing to us,

So also does our encouragement keep overflowing by means of the Christ.

And, if we are in trouble,

It is for your encouragement and safety.

Or, if we are encouraged,

It is for your encouragement,

COR

That encouragement which is working in you, By your endurance of the same sufferings

As we ourselves also are suffering.

(And our hope for you does not waver.)

For we know that as you are sharers of our sufferings,

So also are you of our encouragement.

For, brothers, we do not desire you to be ignorant of our trouble which we had in Asia Minor. For we were weighed down altogether beyond our strength so that we even despaired of life. Yes, we had in ourselves the presentiment of death, so that we might not trust in ourselves but, on the contrary, in the God who raises the dead. And he delivered us from such a death, and he will do it again. It is on him we have set our hope of further deliverance in the future by your help also in your prayers. And so for the favor bestowed on us by the help of many, thanks will be given by many on our behalf.

For our boast is this, that our conscience is our witness that we conducted ourselves in the world, and still more towards you, with a devotion and sincerity born of God. It was not with carnal wisdom, but with the favor of God. For we are not

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