For all day long ¹  his work produces pain and frustration, ²  and even at night his mind cannot relax! ³  This also is futile!

When the Lord gives you relief from your suffering and anxiety, ¹  and from the hard labor which you were made to perform,

They will be imprisoned in a pit, ¹  locked up in a prison, and after staying there for a long time, ²  they will be punished. ³ 

All of your people will be godly; ¹  they will possess the land permanently. I will plant them like a shoot; they will be the product of my labor, through whom I reveal my splendor. ² 

Yet, ¹  Lord, you are our father. We are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the product of your labor. ² 

He sent it after King Jeconiah, the queen mother, the palace officials, ¹  the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metal workers had been exiled from Jerusalem. ² 

When the time for them to be rescued comes,” ¹  says the Lord who rules over all, ²  “I will rescue you from foreign subjugation. ³  I will deliver you from captivity. ⁴  Foreigners will then no longer subjugate them.

But the time is coming when I will send men against Moab who will empty it out. They will empty the towns of their people, then will lay those towns in ruins. ¹  I, the Lord, affirm it! ² 

Foreigners are consuming what his strenuous labor produced, ¹  but he does not recognize it! His head is filled with gray hair, but he does not realize it!

The labor pains of a woman will overtake him, but the baby will lack wisdom; when the time arrives, he will not come out of the womb!

It ¹  could have been sold for more than three hundred silver coins ²  and the money ³  given to the poor!” So ⁴  they spoke angrily to her.

“We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands and in three days build another not made with hands.’”

And we know that all things work together ¹  for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose,

We are coworkers belonging to God. ¹  You are God’s field, God’s building.

I do not mean that we rule over your faith, but we are workers with you for your joy, because by faith you stand firm. ¹ 

Now because we are fellow workers, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain. ¹ 

But for now ¹  I have considered it necessary to send Epaphroditus to you. For he is my brother, ²  coworker and fellow soldier, and your messenger ³  and minister ⁴  to me in my need. ⁵ 

We ¹  sent Timothy, our brother and fellow worker for God ²  in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen you and encourage you about your faith,

Here is another way that our people ¹  can learn ²  to engage in good works to meet pressing needs and so not be unfruitful.

From Paul, ¹  a prisoner of Christ Jesus, ²  and Timothy our ³  brother, to Philemon, our dear friend ⁴  and colaborer,