for he much longed after you all, and was greatly concerned because ye had heard that he was sick.

For indeed he was sick and nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but on me also, that I might not have sorrow upon sorrow.

Receive him therefore in the Lord with all joy, and have such in high esteem:

because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his own life, so that he might fill up what was wanting in your kind offices towards me.

Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other thinks he hath whereof to trust in the flesh, I more:

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

I know both how to be abased, and how to abound: in every place, and in all conditions I am instructed, both to be full and to be hungry, to abound and to be in want.

He is before all, and by Him all things subsist.

And He is the head of the body, which is the church: who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in all things He might have the pre-eminence.

yet now hath He reconciled in the body of his flesh, through death, to present you holy, and unblameable, and unreproveable in his sight:

And when ye were dead in trespasses, and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,

And having spoiled principalities and powers, He made them an open spectacle, triumphing over them by it.

Let no one deprive you of your reward by an affected humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into what he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his carnal mind;

but he that doth unjustly, shall receive for what wrong he hath done; and there is no respect of persons with God:

Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with discretion to know how ye ought to answer every one.

whom I have sent to you for this purpose also that he may know your affairs, and comfort your hearts;

Aristarchus my fellow-prisoner saluteth you, and Marcus nephew to Barnabas, concerning whom ye have received orders; (if he come to you, receive him;) and Jesus who is called Justus:

for I bear him witness, that he is very zealous for you, and for those in Laodicea, and Hierapolis.

For they themselves declare concerning us what kind of entrance we had among you, and how ye turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God;

and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivereth us from the wrath to come.

Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily, and justly, and unblameably we behaved towards you that believe:

as ye know likewise, how we exhorted and comforted every one of you, as a father his children;

As to what remains therefore, my brethren, we intreat and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received instructions from us, how ye ought to walk and to please God, ye would abound therein more and more.

He therefore who rejecteth us, rejecteth not man, but God; who hath given us his holy Spirit.

Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it.

in that day, when He shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe; because our testimony among you was believed.

the son of perdition, who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or the object of worship; so that he sits as God in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

For the mystery of iniquity is already working, only there is one that hindreth till he be taken out of the way.

to which He hath called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now we charge you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to withdraw yourselves from every brother who walketh disorderly, and not according to the instruction which he received from us.

For ye know how ye ought to imitate us: for we were not disorderly among you;

by this epistle, mark such a one, and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed.

And I give thanks to Christ Jesus our Lord, who gave me ability for the work, that He accounted me faithful, having put me into the ministry,

This then I exhort thee first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings he made for all men;

It is certain, if any one is desirous of the episcopal office, he desireth a good work.

(for if any one know not how to govern his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)

not one newly converted, least being puffed up he fall into the condemnation of the devil.

He ought also to have an honorable testimony from those that are without, least he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

But if I should be retarded, that thou mayst know how thou oughtest to behave in the house of God, the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.

Let no one have cause to despise thy youth; but he thou an example to believers in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own family, he hath renounced the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

he is proud, knowing nothing, but is delirious about questions and strifes of words: from which cometh envy, contention, calumnies, wicked suspicions, perverse debates of men corrupted in mind,

which He will manifest in his own times, who is the blessed and only potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords,

Charge them, that are rich in this world, not to be high-minded nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who richly affords us all things for enjoyment: charge them to do good,

for which cause also I suffer these things; but I am not ashamed: for I know in whom I have trusted, and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him against that day.

The Lord shew mercy to the family of Onesiphorus; for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain: but when he was at Rome,

he sought for me the more diligently, and found me.

(The Lord grant that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day!) And how much he ministered to me at Ephesus too, thou knowest full well.

No one, that enters into military service, embarrasseth himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him.

And if any one contend in the public games, he gains not the crown unless he contend fairly.

if we suffer, we shall also reign with Him: if we disown Him, He will also disown us.

If we are unfaithful, He continueth faithful notwithstanding; He cannot renounce Himself.

If therefore any one purify himself from these corruptions, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified and fitted for the Master's use, being prepared for every good work.

sufferings, which befel me at Antioch, in Iconium, in Lystra; what persecutions I endured, and how the Lord delivered me out of them all.

Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is useful to me in the ministry.

Of whom do thou also beware: for he hath greatly opposed our doctrine.

holding fast the faithful word, according as he hath been taught, that he may be able both to instruct in sound doctrine, and to convince gainsayers.

that he who opposeth it may be ashamed, having no evil to say of you.

who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify to Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

not for works of righteousness which we had done, but according to his own mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the holy Spirit;

which He hath plentifully shed upon us, through Jesus Christ our Saviour:

Whom I would gladly have kept with me, that he might have ministered unto me as thou wouldst have done, in the bonds of the gospel.

For perhaps he was therefore parted from thee for a season, that thou mightest receive him for ever:

not now as a servant, but above a servant, a dear brother, especially to me, and how much more to thee both in the flesh and in the Lord.

If he hath wronged thee in any thing, or is indebted to thee, place it to my accompt:

whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds.

Who being the refulgence of his glory and the imprest image of his person, and sustaining all things by his powerful word, having by Himself performed the purging away of our sins, sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high.

Being as much superior to the angels, as He inheriteth a name more excellent than they.

For to which of the angels did He ever say, "Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee?" and again, "I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to me a Son?"

and when He again introduceth the First-born into the world, he saith, "And let all the angels of God worship Him."

And as to the angels He saith, "Who maketh his angels spirits and his ministers a flame of fire:"

But to which of the angels hath He ever said, "Sit thou at my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?"

how shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation? which began to be declared by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by them that heard Him;

For He hath not subjected to angels the world to come, of which we speak.

For in putting all things under Him, He left nothing which was not to be in subjection to Him: though we do not yet see all things subjected to Him.

But we see Jesus, who was made for a little while lower than the angels, in order to suffer death, that by the grace of God He might taste death for every man, crowned with glory and honor.

since He that sanctifieth, and they that are sanctified, are all of one. For which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren,

Seeing then the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also himself in like manner partook of them; that by death He might destroy him that had the empire of death, that is, the devil:

For indeed He taketh not hold of angels to save them, but of the seed of Abraham.

Whence it behoved Him to be made in all things like unto his brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful high-priest in the things concerning God, to make atonement for the sins of the people:

for as He himself hath suffered, in being tempted, He is able to succour those that are tempted.

Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the apostle and high-priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;

For He was accounted worthy of more honor than Moses, as he who hath built it, hath more honor than the house.

For every house is built by some one: and He who built all things is God.

But with whom was He provoked forty years? was it not with those that sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?

and to whom did He swear that they should not enter into his rest, but to those that were disobedient?

For we who believe shall enter into rest, as He said above, "So I sware in my wrath, they shall not enter into my rest:" though the works of creation were finished from the foundation of the world:

He appoints a certain day, called To-day, saying by David so long after, (as it is recorded) "To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts."

For if Joshua had given them the rest, He would not afterwards have spoken of another day.

for he that is entered into his rest, hath also himself ceased from his works, as God did from his.

Having therefore a great high-priest, that is passed into the heavens, even Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession:

for we have not an high-priest who cannot sympathize with our infirmities, but was in all respects tempted in like manner with us, yet without sin.

For every high-priest taken from among men, is appointed for the sake of men in things relating to God, that he may offer gifts and sacrifices for sins:

who can have due compassion on the ignorant and those that are going astray; seeing he himself also is surrounded with infirmity:

and for this reason he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer sacrifice for sins.

And no one taketh this honor to himself, but he that is called by God, as Aaron was.

So also Christ did not glorify himself to be made an high-priest; but He that said unto Him, "Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee."

As He saith also in another place, "Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec."

Who in the days of his flesh, offered prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears, to Him that was able to save Him from death, and was heard in what He feared;

but though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered: and being thus perfected,