So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. When the king came to see him, Amnon said to him, ‘I would like my sister Tamar to come and make some special bread in my sight, so that I may eat from her hand.’

So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. And when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, “Please let my sister Tamar come and make a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand.”

So Tamar went to the house of her brother Amnon, who was lying down. She took some dough, kneaded it, made the bread in his sight and baked it.

So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house, where he was lying down. And she took dough and kneaded it and made cakes in his sight and baked the cakes.

But the witless can no more become wise
than a wild donkey’s colt can be born human.

But a stupid man will get understanding
when a wild donkey’s colt is born a man!

You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride;
you have stolen my heart
with one glance of your eyes,
with one jewel of your necklace.

You have captivated my heart, my sister, my bride;
you have captivated my heart with one glance of your eyes,
with one jewel of your necklace.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

‘But woe to you who are rich,
for you have already received your comfort.

“But woe to you who are rich for you have received your consolation.

and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother.

and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother.

When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.

When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there.

Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means ‘son of encouragement’),

Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus,

Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.

So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit it multiplied.

After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, ‘Brothers, if you have a word of exhortation for the people, please speak.’

After the reading from the Law and the Prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, say it.”

The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message.

And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement.

When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers and sisters encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed.

And when he wished to cross to Achaia the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived he greatly helped those who through grace had believed,

that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.

that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.

if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had,

May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus,

But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort.

On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,

who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.

For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.

If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.

If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer.

And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

I have spoken to you with great frankness; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.

I am acting with great boldness toward you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy.

and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever.

and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted by you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more.

By all this we are encouraged.

In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you.

Therefore we are comforted.

And besides our own comfort, we rejoiced still more at the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all.

they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people.

begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints—

For Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative.

For he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very earnest he is going to you of his own accord.

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion,

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy,

For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you.

For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive,

encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle encourage the fainthearted help the weak be patient with them all.

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope,

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace,

Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.

Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.

Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.

For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.

God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.

so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.

And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,

‘My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,

And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?

“My son do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him.

Brothers and sisters, I urge you to bear with my word of exhortation, for in fact I have written to you quite briefly.

I appeal to you, brothers bear with my word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly.