^{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;