yet for love'ssakeI ratherappeal[to you]-- since I amsuch a personas Paul,the aged,and nowalsoa prisonerof ChristJesus--
And evenwhen[I am] oldand gray,O God,do not forsakeme, UntilI declareYour strengthto [this] generation,Your powerto allwho are to come.
Do not castme offin the timeof oldage;Do not forsakeme when my strengthfails.
A grayheadis a crownof glory;It is foundin the wayof righteousness.
Even to [your] oldageI will be the same,And evento [your] grayingyearsI will bear[you]! I have done[it], and I will carry[you]; And I will bear[you] and I will deliver[you].
ThereforeI urgeyou, brethren,by the merciesof God,to presentyour bodiesa livingand holysacrifice,acceptableto God,[which is] your spiritualservice of worship.
Therefore,we are ambassadorsfor Christ,as thoughGodwere making an appealthroughus; we begyou on behalfof Christ,be reconciledto God.
And working together[with Him], we alsourgeyou not to receivethe graceof Godin vain--
For you are allsonsof Godthroughfaithin ChristJesus.
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,
for whichI am an ambassadorin chains;that in [proclaiming] it I may speak boldly,as I oughtto speak.
I thankChristJesusour Lord,who has strengthenedme, becauseHe consideredme faithful,puttingme into service,
Older menare to be temperate,dignified,sensible,soundin faith,in love,in perseverance.
And I urge[you] all the moreto dothis,sothat I may be restoredto you the sooner.
Beloved,I urgeyou as aliensand strangersto abstainfrom fleshlylustswhichwage waragainstthe soul.
"It shall comeabout, whentheir fathersortheir brotherscometo complainto us, that we shall sayto them, 'Givethem to us voluntarily,becausewe did not takefor eachman[of Benjamin] a wifein battle,nordid you give[them] to them, [else] you would nowbe guilty.'"
