for it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be in fear, for it does not bear the sword in vain. It is God’s servant to administer retribution on the wrongdoer.

First of all, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world.

and I always ask in my prayers, if perhaps now at last I may succeed in visiting you according to the will of God.

Or do you have contempt for the wealth of his kindness, forbearance, and patience, and yet do not know that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?

Against hope Abraham believed in hope with the result that he became the father of many nations according to the pronouncement, “so will your descendants be.”

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, since we have been reconciled, will we be saved by his life?

But now, freed from sin and enslaved to God, you have your benefit leading to sanctification, and the end is eternal life.

just as it is written, “Look, I am laying in Zion a stone that will cause people to stumble and a rock that will make them fall, yet the one who believes in him will not be put to shame.”

“Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars; I alone am left and they are seeking my life!”

What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was diligently seeking, but the elect obtained it. The rest were hardened,

I ask then, they did not stumble into an irrevocable fall, did they? Absolutely not! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make Israel jealous.

Do not avenge yourselves, dear friends, but give place to God’s wrath, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.

For everything that was written in former times was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and through encouragement of the scriptures we may have hope.

Now may the God of endurance and comfort give you unity with one another in accordance with Christ Jesus,

and thus the Gentiles glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Because of this I will confess you among the Gentiles, and I will sing praises to your name.”

But I have written more boldly to you on some points so as to remind you, because of the grace given to me by God

But now there is nothing more to keep me in these regions, and I have for many years desired to come to you

Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, laborers in the Lord. Greet my dear friend Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord.

The God of peace will quickly crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus the city treasurer and our brother Quartus greet you.