for whichI am an ambassadorin chains;that in [proclaiming] it I may speak boldly,as I oughtto speak.
A wickedmessengerfallsinto adversity,But a faithfulenvoy[brings] healing.
Behold,their bravemencryin the streets,The ambassadorsof peaceweepbitterly.
"Cryloudly,do not holdback;Raiseyour voicelike a trumpet,And declareto My peopletheir transgressionAnd to the houseof Jacobtheir sins.
"Now, girdup your loinsand arise,and speakto them allwhichI commandyou. Do not be dismayedbeforethem, orI will dismayyou beforethem.
The wordwhichcameto Jeremiahfrom the LORDafterNebuzaradancaptainof the bodyguardhad releasedhim from Ramah,when he had takenhim boundin chainsamongallthe exilesof Jerusalemand Judahwho were being exiledto Babylon.
Thenthe commandercameup and took holdof him, and orderedhim to be boundwith twochains;and he [began] askingwhohe was and whathe had done.
And Paul[said], "I would wishto God,that whetherin a shortorlong time,not onlyyou, but alsoallwho hearme this day,might becomesuchas I am,exceptfor thesechains."
"For thisreason,therefore,I requestedto seeyou and to speakwith you, for I am wearingthischainfor the sakeof the hopeof Israel."
preachingthe kingdomof Godand teachingconcerningthe LordJesusChristwith allopenness,unhindered.
But Peterand the apostlesanswered,"We mustobeyGodratherthanmen.
Thereforehavingsucha hope,we usegreatboldness in [our] speech,
Therefore,we are ambassadorsfor Christ,as thoughGodwere making an appealthroughus; we begyou on behalfof Christ,be reconciledto God.
For thisreasonI, Paul,the prisonerof ChristJesusfor the sakeof you Gentiles--
ThereforeI, the prisonerof the Lord,imploreyou to walkin a manner worthyof the callingwith whichyou have been called,
and [pray] on my behalf,that utterancemay be givento me in the openingof my mouth,to make knownwith boldnessthe mysteryof the gospel,
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 it is onlyrightfor me to feelthis wayaboutyou all,becauseI haveyou in my heart,since bothin my imprisonmentand in the defenseand confirmationof the gospel,you allare partakersof gracewith me.
prayingat the same timefor us as well,that Godwill openup to us a doorfor the word,so that we may speak forththe mysteryof Christ,for whichI have alsobeen imprisoned;
that I may make it clearin the wayI oughtto speak.
but after we had already sufferedand been mistreatedin Philippi,as you know,we had the boldnessin our Godto speakto you the gospelof Godamidmuchopposition.
The Lordgrantmercyto the houseof Onesiphorus,for he oftenrefreshedme and was not ashamedof my chains;
for whichI suffer hardshipevento imprisonmentas a criminal;but the wordof Godis not imprisoned.
I appealto you for my childOnesimus,whomI have begottenin my imprisonment,
yet for love'ssakeI ratherappeal[to you]-- since I amsuch a personas Paul,the aged,and nowalsoa prisonerof ChristJesus--
We knowloveby this,that He laiddownHis lifefor us; and we oughtto lay downour livesfor the brethren.
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.
