and said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, because he has seizures ¹  and suffers terribly, for he often falls into the fire and into the water.

This is the reason I was often hindered from coming to you.

At the same time he was also hoping that Paul would give him money, ¹  and for this reason he sent for Paul ²  as often as possible ³  and talked ⁴  with him.

Don’t set foot too frequently ¹  in your neighbor’s house, lest he become weary ²  of you and hate you.

Then ¹  they said to him, “John’s ²  disciples frequently fast ³  and pray, ⁴  and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, ⁵  but yours continue to eat and drink.” ⁶ 

Are they servants of Christ? (I am talking like I am out of my mind!) I am even more so: with much greater labors, with far more imprisonments, with more severe beatings, facing death many times.

“How often ¹  is the lamp of the wicked extinguished? How often does their ²  misfortune come upon them? How often does God apportion pain ³  to them ⁴  in his anger?

“I have heard many things like these before. What miserable comforters ¹  are you all!

Yet Jesus himself ¹  frequently withdrew ²  to the wilderness ³  and prayed.

I punished ¹  them often in all the synagogues ²  and tried to force ³  them to blaspheme. Because I was so furiously enraged ⁴  at them, I went to persecute ⁵  them even in foreign cities.

How often ¹  are they like straw before the wind, and like chaff swept away ²  by a whirlwind?

How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness, and insulted him ¹  in the desert!

For you know in your own heart ¹  that you also have cursed others many times.

(Now Judas, the one who betrayed him, knew the place too, because Jesus had met there many times ¹  with his disciples.) ² 

(Stop drinking just water, but use a little wine for your digestion ¹  and your frequent illnesses.) ² 

Saul removed David ¹  from his presence and made him a commanding officer. ²  David led the army out to battle and back. ³ 

Elisha died and was buried. ¹  Moabite raiding parties invaded ²  the land at the beginning of the year. ³ 

Then John’s ¹  disciples came to Jesus ²  and asked, “Why do we and the Pharisees ³  fast often, ⁴  but your disciples don’t fast?”

It has often thrown him into fire or water to destroy him. But if you are able to do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

in hard work and toil, ¹  through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, many times without food, in cold and without enough clothing. ²