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Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.

Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.

Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;

Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:

Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

And lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed.

For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults:

Again, think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you? we speak before God in Christ: but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying.

I desired Titus, and with him I sent a brother. Did Titus make a gain of you? walked we not in the same spirit? walked we not in the same steps?

Did I make a gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you?

But be it so, I did not burden you: nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile.

And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.

Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not your"s but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.

For what is it wherein ye were inferior to other churches, except it be that I myself was not burdensome to you? forgive me this wrong.

Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.

I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing.

Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ"s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.