^{3 Ref} Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort;

^{4 Ref} Who gives us comfort in all our troubles, so that we may be able to give comfort to others who are in trouble, through the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

^{5 Ref} For as we undergo more of the pain which Christ underwent, so through Christ does our comfort become greater.

^{6 Ref} But if we are troubled, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which takes effect through your quiet undergoing of the same troubles which we undergo:

^{7 Ref} And our hope for you is certain; in the knowledge that as you take part in the troubles, so you will take part in the comfort.

^{8 Ref} For it is our desire that you may not be without knowledge of our trouble which came on us in Asia, that the weight of it was very great, more than our power, so that it seemed that we had no hope even of life:

^{3 Ref} Blessed `is' God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of the mercies, and God of all comfort,

^{4 Ref} who is comforting us in all our tribulation, for our being able to comfort those in any tribulation through the comfort with which we are comforted ourselves by God;

^{5 Ref} because, as the sufferings of the Christ do abound to us, so through the Christ doth abound also our comfort;

^{6 Ref} and whether we be in tribulation, `it is' for your comfort and salvation, that is wrought in the enduring of the same sufferings that we also suffer; whether we are comforted, `it is' for your comfort and salvation;

^{7 Ref} and our hope `is' stedfast for you, knowing that even as ye are partakers of the sufferings -- so also of the comfort.

^{8 Ref} For we do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, of our tribulation that happened to us in Asia, that we were exceedingly burdened above `our' power, so that we despaired even of life;