Paul's Sufferings as an Apostle

¹⁶ I repeat, ^(A)let no one think me foolish. But even if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little. ¹⁷ What I am saying ^(B)with this boastful confidence, ^(C)I say not as the Lord would^[a] but as a fool. ¹⁸ Since ^(D)many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. ¹⁹ For you gladly bear with fools, ^(E)being wise yourselves! ²⁰ For you bear it if someone ^(F)makes slaves of you, or ^(G)devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or ^(H)strikes you in the face. ²¹ To my shame, I must say, ^(I)we were too weak for that!

But whatever anyone else dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that. ²² Are they Hebrews? ^(J)So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. ²³ Are they ^(K)servants of Christ? ^(L)I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, ^(M)far more imprisonments, ^(N)with countless beatings, and ^(O)often near death. ²⁴ Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the ^(P)forty lashes less one. ²⁵ Three times I was ^(Q)beaten with rods. ^(R)Once I was stoned. Three times I ^(S)was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; ²⁶ on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, ^(T)danger from my own people, ^(U)danger from Gentiles, ^(V)danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; ^27 (W)in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, ^(X)in hunger and thirst, often without food,^[b] in cold and exposure. ²⁸ And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for ^(Y)all the churches. ^29 (Z)Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?

^30 (AA)If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. ^31 (AB)The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, ^(AC)he who is blessed forever, ^(AD)knows that I am not lying. ³² At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas ^(AE)was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me, ^33 (AF)but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands.

Isaiah's Vision of the Lord

6 In the year that ^(A)King Uzziah died I ^(B)saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train^[a] of his robe filled the temple. ² Above him stood the seraphim. Each had ^(C)six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. ³ And one called to another and said:

⁴ And ^(F)the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and ^(G)the house was filled with smoke. ⁵ And I said: “Woe is me! ^(H)For I am lost; ^(I)for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the ^(J)King, the Lord of hosts!”

⁶ Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. ⁷ And he ^(K)touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”

Isaiah's Commission from the Lord

⁸ And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for ^(L)us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” ⁹ And he said, “Go, and say to this people:

Isaiah Sent to King Ahaz

7 In the days of ^(V)Ahaz the son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, ^(W)Rezin the king of Syria and ^(X)Pekah the son of Remaliah the king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war against it, but could not yet mount an attack against it. ² When the house of David was told, ^(Y)“Syria is in league with^{[h] (Z)}Ephraim,” the heart of Ahaz^[i] and the heart of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake before the wind.