I became a servant of the church according to the stewardship ¹  from God – given to me for you – in order to complete ²  the word of God,

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with a heart of mercy, ¹  kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,

so that no one would be shaken by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this.

So ¹  in all our distress and affliction, we were reassured about you, brothers and sisters, ²  through your faith.

For God did not destine us for wrath ¹  but for gaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

As a result we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and afflictions you are enduring.

and to you who are being afflicted to give rest together with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed ¹  from heaven with his mighty angels. ² 

If we endure, we will also reign with him. ¹  If we deny ²  him, ³  he will also deny us.

And the Lord’s slave ¹  must not engage in heated disputes ²  but be kind toward all, an apt teacher, patient,

You, however, ¹  have followed my teaching, my ²  way of life, my purpose, my faith, my patience, my love, my endurance,

At times you were publicly exposed to abuse and afflictions, and at other times you came to share with others who were treated in that way.

Endure your suffering ¹  as discipline; ²  God is treating you as sons. For what son is there that a father does not discipline?

Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, ¹  bear with my message of exhortation, for in fact I have written to you briefly.

Dear friends, do not be astonished ¹  that a trial by fire is occurring among you, ²  as though something strange were happening to you.

If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory, ¹  who is the Spirit of God, ²  rests ³  on you.

And regard the patience of our Lord as salvation, ¹  just as also our dear brother Paul ²  wrote to you, ³  according to the wisdom given to him,

The locusts ¹  were not given permission ²  to kill ³  them, but only to torture ⁴  them ⁵  for five months, and their torture was like that ⁶  of a scorpion when it stings a person. ⁷ 

For three and a half days those from every ¹  people, tribe, ²  nation, and language will look at their corpses, because they will not permit them to be placed in a tomb. ³ 

(Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, for God has pronounced judgment ¹  against her on your behalf!) ² 

Then in the dream God replied to him, “Yes, I know that you have done this with a clear conscience. ¹  That is why I have kept you ²  from sinning against me and why ³  I did not allow you to touch her.