Now I beg you, brothers, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love that the Spirit inspires, to wrestle with me in prayers to God on my behalf,

For God is my witness how I never stop yearning for all of you with the affection Christ Jesus inspires.

for he has been longing to see you and has been homesick because you have heard that he was sick.

Now we, brothers, on our part, when we were separated from you for a little while -- in person but not in heart -- were extremely eager and intensely longing to see you.

So when I could not bear it any longer, I decided to be left behind in Athens alone,

Being

to serve the Lord with all humility and in tears, through the trials that befell me because of the plots of the Jews.

because the Lamb who is in the center of the throne will be their Shepherd, and God will wipe every tear from their eyes."

and He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no death any longer, no sorrow, no crying, no pain. The first order of things has passed away."

Filled

So you too are now in sorrow, but I am going to see you again, and then your hearts will be happy, and no one can rob you of your happiness.

and now we write these things to you to make our joy complete.

General references

Do your best to come to me soon,