⁸ For God is my witness, how my love goes out to you all in the loving mercies of Christ Jesus.

⁹ For God is my witness, whose servant I am in spirit in the good news of his Son, that you are at all times in my memory and in my prayers,

⁴ Desiring to see you, keeping in my memory your weeping, so that I may be full of joy;

¹ So my brothers, well loved and very dear to me, my joy and crown, be strong in the Lord, my loved ones.

¹ I say what is true in Christ, and not what is false, my mind giving witness with me in the Holy Spirit,

¹² As saints of God, then, holy and dearly loved, let your behaviour be marked by pity and mercy, kind feeling, a low opinion of yourselves, gentle ways, and a power of undergoing all things;

⁵ For it is common knowledge among you that we never made use of smooth-sounding false words, and God is witness that at no time were we secretly desiring profit for ourselves,

⁸ Even so, being full of loving desire for you, we took delight in giving you not only God's good news, but even our lives, because you were dear to us.

¹² Whom I have sent back to you, him who is my very heart:

²⁰ So brother, let me have joy of you in the Lord: give new life to my heart in Christ.

¹⁷ But if a man has this world's goods, and sees that his brother is in need, and keeps his heart shut against his brother, how is it possible for the love of God to be in him?

¹ For it is my desire to give you news of the great fight I am making for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not seen my face in the flesh;

²⁶ Because his heart was with you all, and he was greatly troubled because you had news that he was ill:

¹⁵ Let your eyes be looking down from heaven, from your holy and beautiful house: where is your deep feeling, the working of your power? do not keep back the moving of your pity and your mercies:

²⁰ Is Ephraim my dear son? is he the child of my delight? for whenever I say things against him, I still keep him in my memory: so my heart is troubled for him; I will certainly have mercy on him, says the Lord.

⁷⁸ Because of the loving mercies of our God, by which the dawn from heaven has come to us,

¹² It is not our feelings to you which are narrow, but yours to us.

¹⁵ And his love to you is the more increased by his memory of you all, how you gave way to his authority, and how you took him to your hearts with fear and honour.

⁹ For we are glad when we are feeble and you are strong: and this is our prayer, even that you may be made complete.

²⁰ Now God is witness that the things which I am writing to you are true.

¹⁹ My children, of whom I am again in birth-pains till Christ is formed in you,

¹ If then there is any comfort in Christ, any help given by love, any uniting of hearts in the Spirit, any loving mercies and pity,

¹¹ For this cause the cords of my heart are sounding for Moab, and I am full of sorrow for Kir-heres.