and not onlyby his coming,but alsoby the comfortwith whichhe was comfortedin you, as he reportedto us your longing,your mourning,your zealfor me; sothat I rejoicedeven more.
Let the righteoussmiteme in kindnessand reproveme; It is oilupon the head;Do not let my headrefuseit, For stillmy prayeris against their wickeddeeds.
For His angeris but for a moment,His favoris for a lifetime;Weepingmay lastfor the night,But a shoutof joy[comes] in the morning.
For I confessmy iniquity;I am fullof anxietybecauseof my sin.
Be graciousto me, O God,according to Your lovingkindness;According to the greatnessof Your compassionblotout my transgressions.
And Peterrememberedthe wordwhich Jesushad said,"Beforea roostercrows,you will denyMe three times."And he wentout and weptbitterly.
"Blessedare thosewho mourn,for they shall be comforted.
And beingin agonyHe was prayingveryfervently;and His sweatbecamelikedropsof blood,falling downupon the ground.
Then when he arrivedand witnessedthe graceof God,he rejoicedand [began] to encouragethem allwith resoluteheartto remain[true] to the Lord;
that is, that I may be encouraged togetherwith you [while] amongyou, each of us by the other'sfaith,bothyoursand mine.
You have become arrogantand have not mournedinstead,sothat the one who had donethisdeedwould be removedfrom your midst.
justas you alsopartiallydid understandus, that we are your reason to be proudas you alsoare ours,in the dayof our LordJesus.
who comfortsus in allour afflictionsothat we will be ableto comfortthosewho are in anyafflictionwith the comfortwith whichwe ourselvesare comfortedby God.
For to thisend alsoI wrote,sothat I might putyou to the test,whetheryou are obedientin all things.
For indeedin this[house] we groan,longingto be clothedwith our dwellingfrom heaven,
But God,who comfortsthe depressed,comfortedus by the comingof Titus;
For thoughI causedyou sorrowby my letter,I do not regretit; thoughI did regretit-- [for] I seethat that lettercaused you sorrow,thoughonlyfor a while--
But thanksbe to Godwho putsthe sameearnestnesson your behalfin the heartof Titus.
accordingto my earnest expectationand hope,that I will not be put to shamein anything,but [that] with allboldness,Christwill evennow,as always,be exaltedin my body,whetherby lifeorby death.
For eventhoughI am absentin body,neverthelessI amwith you in spirit,rejoicingto seeyour good disciplineand the stabilityof your faithin Christ.
But nowthat Timothyhas cometo us from you, and has brought us good newsof your faithand love,and that you alwaysthinkkindlyof us, longingto seeus justas we alsolong to see you,
for nowwe [really] live,ifyou stand firmin the Lord.
For thisreasonwe mustpaymuch closerattentionto what we have heard,sothat we do not drift away[from it].
Elijahwas a manwith a nature likeours,and he prayedearnestlythat it would not rain,and it did not rainon the earthfor threeyearsand sixmonths.
I was verygladto find[some] of your childrenwalkingin truth,justas we have receivedcommandment[to do] from the Father.
Beloved,while I was makingeveryeffortto writeyou aboutour commonsalvation,I feltthe necessityto writeto you appealingthat you contend earnestlyfor the faithwhich was once for allhanded downto the saints.
