And as for us---why would we run the risk of danger every hour?

If I have, as it were, fought "wild beasts" here in Ephesus simply from human motives, what have I gained? But if the dead are not raised to life, then, as the saying goes, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we will die."

We want to remind you, friends, of the trouble we had in the province of Asia. The burdens laid upon us were so great and so heavy that we gave up all hope of staying alive.

From such terrible dangers of death he saved us, and will save us; and we have placed our hope in him that he will save us again,

We are often troubled, but not crushed; sometimes in doubt, but never in despair;

At all times we carry in our mortal bodies the death of Jesus, so that his life also may be seen in our bodies.

This means that death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

as unknown, yet we are known by all; as though we were dead, but, as you see, we live on. Although punished, we are not killed;

For you have been given the privilege of serving Christ, not only by believing in him, but also by suffering for him.

Now you can take part with me in the battle. It is the same battle you saw me fighting in the past, and as you hear, the one I am fighting still.

so that none of you should turn back because of these persecutions. You yourselves know that such persecutions are part of God's will for us.

But it is on your account that we are being killed all the time, that we are treated like sheep to be slaughtered.

As the scripture says, "For your sake we are in danger of death at all times; we are treated like sheep that are going to be slaughtered."

God did not choose us to suffer his anger, but to possess salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

who died for us in order that we might live together with him, whether we are alive or dead when he comes.

Then the Lamb broke open the fifth seal. I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been killed because they had proclaimed God's word and had been faithful in their witnessing.

Each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to rest a little while longer, until the complete number of other servants and believers were killed, as they had been.

You were at times publicly insulted and mistreated, and at other times you were ready to join those who were being treated in this way.

Some were mocked and whipped, and others were put in chains and taken off to prison.

The uproar spread throughout the whole city. The mob grabbed Gaius and Aristarchus, two Macedonians who were traveling with Paul, and rushed with them to the theater.

Some of the provincial authorities, who were his friends, also sent him a message begging him not to show himself in the theater.

What are the angels, then? They are spirits who serve God and are sent by him to help those who are to receive salvation.

All the angels stood around the throne, the elders, and the four living creatures. Then they threw themselves face downward in front of the throne and worshiped God,

One of the elders asked me, "Who are these people dressed in white robes, and where do they come from?"

And I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God's people and the blood of those who were killed because they had been loyal to Jesus. When I saw her, I was completely amazed.

"Why are you amazed?" the angel asked me. "I will tell you the secret meaning of the woman and of the beast that carries her, the beast with seven heads and ten horns.