¹ Brethren, my heart's desire and my supplication to God is for them, that they may be saved.

²⁰ And to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, not being myself under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;

²¹ to them that are without law, as without law, not being without law to God, but under law to Christ, that I might gain them that are without law.

²² To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak: I am become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some.

¹¹ It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king; for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And Samuel was wroth; and he cried unto Jehovah all night.

³⁴ But the witness which I receive is not from man: howbeit I say these things, that ye may be saved.

¹ I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience bearing witness with me in the Holy Spirit,

² that I have great sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart.

³ For I could wish that I myself were anathema from Christ for my brethren's sake, my kinsmen according to the flesh:

¹³ Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.

²³ Moreover as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against Jehovah in ceasing to pray for you: but I will instruct you in the good and the right way.

¹⁶ As for me, I have not hastened from being a shepherd after thee; neither have I desired the woeful day; thou knowest: that which came out of my lips was before thy face.

²⁰ Shall evil be recompensed for good? for they have digged a pit for my soul. Remember how I stood before thee to speak good for them, to turn away thy wrath from them.

³⁴ O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killeth the prophets, and stoneth them that are sent unto her! how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen `gathereth' her own brood under her wings, and ye would not!