In fact he became so ill that he nearly died. But God showed mercy to him -- and not to him only, but also to me -- so that I would not have grief on top of grief.

so that no one would be shaken by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this.

For in fact when we were with you, we were telling you in advance that we would suffer affliction, and so it has happened, as you well know.

But you, brothers and sisters, are not in the darkness for the day to overtake you like a thief would.

But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message would be fully proclaimed for all the Gentiles to hear. And so I was delivered from the lion's mouth!

I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love -- I, Paul, an old man and even now a prisoner for the sake of Christ Jesus --

However, without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your good deed would not be out of compulsion, but from your own willingness.

For perhaps it was for this reason that he was separated from you for a little while, so that you would have him back eternally,

Therefore if you regard me as a partner, accept him as you would me.

Since I was confident that you would obey, I wrote to you, because I knew that you would do even more than what I am asking you to do.

but we see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by God's grace he would experience death on behalf of everyone.

Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things that would be spoken.

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, "Oh, that today you would listen as he speaks!

As it says, "Oh, that today you would listen as he speaks! Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion."

And to whom did he swear they would never enter into his rest, except those who were disobedient?

So God again ordains a certain day, "Today," speaking through David after so long a time, as in the words quoted before, "O, that today you would listen as he speaks! Do not harden your hearts."

For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken afterward about another day.

So if perfection had in fact been possible through the Levitical priesthood -- for on that basis the people received the law -- what further need would there have been for another priest to arise, said to be in the order of Melchizedek and not in Aaron's order?

Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest, since there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law.

For if that first covenant had been faultless, no one would have looked for a second one.

for then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the consummation of the ages to put away sin by his sacrifice.

For otherwise would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers would have been purified once for all and so have no further consciousness of sin?

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place he would later receive as an inheritance, and he went out without understanding where he was going.

In fact, if they had been thinking of the land that they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.

By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that the one who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them.

For God had provided something better for us, so that they would be made perfect together with us.

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls and will give an account for their work. Let them do this with joy and not with complaints, for this would be no advantage for you.

By his sovereign plan he gave us birth through the message of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

But would you like evidence, you empty fellow, that faith without works is useless?

Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain and there was no rain on the land for three years and six months!

Concerning this salvation, the prophets who predicted the grace that would come to you searched and investigated carefully.

Moreover, we possess the prophetic word as an altogether reliable thing. You do well if you pay attention to this as you would to a light shining in a murky place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.

For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than, having known it, to turn back from the holy commandment that had been delivered to them.

They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us, because if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But they went out from us to demonstrate that all of them do not belong to us.

But I have a few things against you: You have some people there who follow the teaching of Balaam, who instructed Balak to put a stumbling block before the people of Israel so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality.

And another horse, fiery red, came out, and the one who rode it was granted permission to take peace from the earth, so that people would butcher one another, and he was given a huge sword.

Thus people were scorched by the terrible heat, yet they blasphemed the name of God, who has ruling authority over these plagues, and they would not repent and give him glory.