You prolonged your kindness ¹  with them for many years, and you solemnly admonished them by your Spirit through your prophets. Still they paid no attention, ²  so you delivered them into the hands of the neighboring peoples. ³ 

But if we are afflicted, ¹  it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort that you experience in your patient endurance of the same sufferings that we also suffer.

Because you have kept ¹  my admonition ²  to endure steadfastly, ³  I will also keep you from the hour of testing that is about to come on the whole world to test those who live on the earth.

Better to be slow to anger ¹  than to be a mighty warrior, and one who controls his temper ²  is better than ³  one who captures a city. ⁴ 

This requires ¹  the steadfast endurance ²  of the saints – those who obey ³  God’s commandments and hold to ⁴  their faith in Jesus. ⁵ 

Rise up, Lord! ¹  O God, strike him down! ²  Do not forget the oppressed!

You want to humiliate the oppressed, ¹  even though ²  the Lord is their ³  shelter.

The Lord is compassionate and merciful; he is patient ¹  and demonstrates great loyal love. ² 

The Lord is merciful and compassionate; he is patient ¹  and demonstrates great loyal love. ² 

Through patience ¹  a ruler can be persuaded, ²  and a soft tongue ³  can break a bone. ⁴ 

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

not a drunkard, not violent, but gentle, not contentious, free from the love of money.

For what credit is it if you sin and are mistreated and endure it? But if you do good and suffer and so endure, this finds favor with God. ¹ 

“If someone ¹  should attempt ²  a word with you, will you be impatient? ³  But who can refrain from speaking ⁴ ?

But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and merciful God. You are patient ¹  and demonstrate great loyal love and faithfulness. ² 

The one who is slow to anger has great understanding, but the one who has a quick temper ¹  exalts ²  folly.

A quick-tempered person ¹  stirs up dissension, but one who is slow to anger ²  calms ³  a quarrel. ⁴ 

Not ¹  only this, but we also rejoice in sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,

We do hard work, toiling with our own hands. When we are verbally abused, we respond with a blessing, when persecuted, we endure,

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