²⁰ Therefore I turned about to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labor wherein I had labored under the sun.

¹⁴ and God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release unto you your other brother and Benjamin. And if I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.

¹¹ My days are past, my purposes are broken off, Even the thoughts of my heart.

¹² They change the night into day: The light, `say they', is near unto the darkness.

¹³ If I look for Sheol as my house; If I have spread my couch in the darkness;

¹⁴ If I have said to corruption, Thou art my father; To the worm, `Thou art' my mother, and my sister;

¹⁵ Where then is my hope? And as for my hope, who shall see it?

⁶ Surely every man walketh in a vain show; Surely they are disquieted in vain: He heapeth up `riches', and knoweth not who shall gather them.

⁷ And now, Lord, what wait I for? My hope is in thee.

¹⁹ If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most pitiable.

⁸ For we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning our affliction which befell `us' in Asia, that we were weighed down exceedingly, beyond our power, insomuch that we despaired even of life:

⁹ yea, we ourselves have had the sentence of death within ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raiseth the dead:

¹⁰ who delivered us out of so great a death, and will deliver: on whom we have set our hope that he will also still deliver us;

³ that no man be moved by these afflictions; for yourselves know that hereunto we are appointed.

⁴ For verily, when we were with you, we told you beforehand that we are to suffer affliction; even as it came to pass, and ye know.