Look, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have purified you ¹  in the furnace of misery.

And we rightly so, for we are getting what we deserve for what we did, but this man has done nothing ¹  wrong.”

For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” ¹ 

My children – I am again undergoing birth pains until Christ is formed in you! ¹ 

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

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.

For it is better to suffer for doing good, if God wills it, ¹  than for doing evil.

Therefore you delivered them into the hand of their adversaries, who oppressed them. But in the time of their distress they called to you, and you heard from heaven. In your abundant compassion you provided them with deliverers to rescue them from ¹  their adversaries.

Because of this, in fact, I suffer as I do. ¹  But I am not ashamed, because I know the one in whom my faith is set ²  and I am convinced that he is able to protect what has been entrusted to me ³  until that day. ⁴ 

Have mercy on me, for I am in distress! My eyes grow dim ¹  from suffering. ²  I have lost my strength. ³ 

because of what the enemy says, ¹  and because of how the wicked ²  pressure me, ³  for they hurl trouble ⁴  down upon me ⁵  and angrily attack me.

Our cattle will be weighted down with produce. ¹  No one will break through our walls, no one will be taken captive, and there will be no terrified cries in our city squares. ² 

So then, listen to what I, the Lord God of Israel who rules over all, ¹  say. ²  ‘I will make these people eat the bitter food of suffering and drink the poison water of judgment. ³ 

And I cried out, ¹  “We are doomed! ²  Our wound is severe! We once thought, ‘This is only an illness. And we will be able to bear it!’ ³ 

Lord, grant me relief from my suffering so that I may have some relief. Rescue me from those who persecute me so that I may be rescued. ¹ 

For many nations and great kings will make slaves of the king of Babylon and his nation ¹  too. I will repay them for all they have done!’” ² 

‘You have said, “I feel so hopeless! ¹  For the Lord has added sorrow to my suffering. ²  I am worn out from groaning. I can’t find any rest.”’”

So this is what the sovereign Lord says: I vow ¹  that the nations around you will endure insults as well.

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.

She had endured a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all that she had. Yet instead of getting better, she grew worse.