2 Corinthians 4:16

4:16 Therefore we do not despair, ¹  but even if our physical body ²  is wearing away, our inner person ³  is being renewed day by day.

Isaiah 40:30

40:30 Even youths get tired and weary;

even strong young men clumsily stumble. ⁴ 

Galatians 6:9

6:9 So we must not grow weary ⁵  in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not give up. ⁶ 

Ephesians 3:13

3:13 For this reason I ask you ⁷  not to lose heart because of what I am suffering for you, ⁸  which ⁹  is your glory. ¹⁰ 

Philippians 4:13

4:13 I am able to do all things ¹¹  through the one ¹²  who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:2

4:2 I appeal to Euodia and to Syntyche to agree in the Lord.

Philippians 3:13

3:13 Brothers and sisters, ¹³  I do not consider myself to have attained this. Instead I am single-minded: ¹⁴  Forgetting the things that are behind and reaching out for the things that are ahead,

Hebrews 12:3

12:3 Think of him who endured such opposition against himself by sinners, so that you may not grow weary in your souls and give up.

Revelation 2:3

2:3 I am also aware ¹⁵  that you have persisted steadfastly, ¹⁶  endured much for the sake of my name, and have not grown weary.

¹ tn Or “do not lose heart.”

² tn Grk “our outer man.”

³ tn Grk “our inner [man].”

⁴ tn Heb “stumbling they stumble.” The verbal idea is emphasized by the infinitive absolute.

⁵ tn Or “not become discouraged,” “not lose heart” (L&N 25.288).

⁶ tn Or “if we do not become extremely weary,” “if we do not give out,” “if we do not faint from exhaustion” (L&N 23.79).

⁷ tn Grk “I ask.” No direct object is given in Greek, leaving room for the possibility that either “God” (since the verb is often associated with prayer) or “you” is in view.

⁸ tn Grk “my trials on your behalf.”

⁹ sn Which. The antecedent (i.e., the word or concept to which this clause refers back) may be either “what I am suffering for you” or the larger concept of the recipients not losing heart over Paul’s suffering for them. The relative pronoun “which” is attracted to the predicate nominative “glory” in its gender and number (feminine singular), making the antecedent ambiguous. Paul’s suffering for them could be viewed as their glory (cf. Col 1:24 for a parallel) in that his suffering has brought about their salvation, but if so his suffering must be viewed as more than his present imprisonment in Rome; it would be a general description of his ministry overall (cf. 2 Cor 11:23-27). The other option is that the author is implicitly arguing that the believers have continued to have courage in the midst of his trials (as not to lose heart suggests) and that this is their glory. Philippians 1:27-28 offers an interesting parallel: The believers’ courage in the face of adversity is a sign of their salvation.

¹⁰ tn Or “Or who is your glory?” The relative pronoun ἥτις (Jhti"), if divided differently, would become ἤ τίς (h ti"). Since there were no word breaks in the original mss, either word division is possible. The force of the question would be that for the readers to become discouraged over Paul’s imprisonment would mean that they were no longer trusting in God’s sovereignty.

¹¹ tn The Greek word translated “all things” is in emphatic position at the beginning of the Greek sentence.

¹² tc Although some excellent witnesses lack explicit reference to the one strengthening Paul (so א* A B D* I 33 1739 lat co Cl), the majority of witnesses (א² D² [F G] Ψ 075 1881 Ï sy) add Χριστῷ (Cristw) here (thus, “through Christ who strengthens me”). But this kind of reading is patently secondary, and is a predictable variant. Further, the shorter reading is much harder, for it leaves the agent unspecified.

¹³ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:12.

¹⁴ tn Grk “But this one thing (I do).”

¹⁵ tn Because of the length and complexity of this Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the phrase “I am also aware” to link this English sentence back to “I know” at the beginning of v. 2.

¹⁶ tn The Greek word translated “persisted steadfastly” (ὑπομονή, Jupomonh) is the same one translated “steadfast endurance” in v. 2.