Because of the good news, I am being held by chains as the Lord’s messenger. So pray that I will be bold as I preach the good news. That’s what I should do.

我为这福音的奥秘作了带锁链的使者，并使我照着当尽的本分放胆讲论。

我为这福音的奥秘作了带铁链的使者，让我能照着当尽的本分放胆宣讲。

我为这福音的奥秘作了带铁链的使者，让我能照着当尽的本分放胆宣讲。

我为传福音成了披枷带锁的使者。请你们为我祷告，使我能尽忠职守，放胆传福音。

（我为这奥秘作了被捆锁的使者），也使我按着应当说的，放胆宣讲这福音的奥秘。

为此，我成了带锁链的特使。请为我祈求，使我能照着应该说的，放胆传道。

（我為這福音的奧祕作了帶鎖鍊的使者，）並使我照着當盡的本分放膽講論。

我為這福音的奧祕作了帶鐵鏈的使者，讓我能照着當盡的本分放膽宣講。

我為這福音的奧祕作了帶鐵鏈的使者，讓我能照着當盡的本分放膽宣講。

我為傳福音成了披枷帶鎖的使者。請你們為我禱告，使我能盡忠職守，放膽傳福音。

（我為這奧祕作了被捆鎖的使者），也使我按著應當說的，放膽宣講這福音的奧祕。

（為了這個、我做帶鎖鍊的大使），使我在這上頭放膽無懼、照所應該講的來講。

為此，我成了帶鎖鏈的特使。請為我祈求，使我能照著應該說的，放膽傳道。

緣此、我為縲絏中之使者、俾得侃侃而言、如所當言、○

是以我為基督使、雖繫鐵索、得侃侃言、如所當言、

我為此福音為使者、而陷於縲絏之中、當求主使我得毅然而傳、如所當言、

蓋我已為福音之故而成為被鍊加鎖之星使。果能不為威武所屈、侃侃而談、庶幾不辱使命、是所至願也。

for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.

For this I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I might be bold enough to speak about it as I should.

for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

For this I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I might be bold enough in Him to speak as I should.

For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may be able to speak boldly as I ought to speak.

for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

So we are Christ’s official messengers. It is as if God were making his appeal through us. Here is what Christ wants us to beg you to do. Come back to God!

I share Israel’s hope. That is why I am held with this chain. So I have asked to see you and talk with you.”

Pray that I will preach it clearly, as I should.

It is right for me to feel this way about all of you. I love you with all my heart. I may be held by chains, or I may be standing up for the truth of the good news. Either way, all of you share in God’s grace together with me.

I am an old man, and I’m in prison. This is how I make my appeal to you for my son Onesimus. He became a son to me while I was being held in chains.

I, Paul, am a prisoner because of Christ Jesus. I am in prison because of my work among you who are Gentiles.

May the Lord show mercy to all who live in the house of Onesiphorus. He often encouraged me. He was not ashamed that I was being held by chains.

One thing has become clear. I am being held by chains because I am a witness for Christ. All the palace guards and everyone else know it.And because I am a prisoner, most of the believers have become bolder in the Lord. They now dare even more to preach the good news without fear.

What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight. What is whispered in your ear, shout from the rooftops.Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but can’t kill the soul. Instead, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Look! Judah’s brave men cry out loud in the streets. The messengers who were sent to bring peace weep bitter tears.

He preached boldly about God’s kingdom. He taught people about the Lord Jesus Christ. And no one could keep him from teaching and preaching about these things.

David thought,“ I’m going to be kind to Hanun. His father Nahash was kind to me.” So David sent messengers to Hanun. He wanted them to tell Hanun how sad he was that Hanun’s father had died. David’s messengers went to the land of Ammon.The Ammonite commanders spoke to their master Hanun. They said,“ David has sent messengers to tell you he is sad. They say he wants to honor your father. But the real reason they’ve come is to look the city over. They want to destroy it.”So Hanun grabbed David’s messengers. He shaved off half of each man’s beard. He cut their clothes off just below the waist and left them half naked. Then he sent them away.David was told about it. So he sent messengers to his men because they were filled with shame. King David said to them,“ Stay at Jericho until your beards grow out again. Then come back here.”The Ammonites realized that what they had done had made David very angry with them. So they hired 20,000 Aramean soldiers who were on foot. The soldiers came from Beth Rehob and Zobah. The Ammonites also hired the king of Maakah and 1,000 men. And they hired 12,000 men from Tob.

“ So get ready! Stand up! Tell them everything I command you to. Do not let them terrify you. If you do, I will terrify you in front of them.

An evil messenger gets into trouble. But a trusted messenger brings healing.

But the Lord said to me,“ Do not say,‘ I’m too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to. You must say everything I command you to say.Do not be afraid of the people I send you to. I am with you. I will save you,” announces the Lord.

The people I am sending you to are very stubborn. Tell them,‘ Here is what the Lord and King says.’They might listen, or they might not. After all, they refuse to obey me. But whether they listen or not, they will know that a prophet was among them.Son of man, do not be afraid of them or of what they say. Do not be afraid, even if thorns and bushes are all around you. Do not be afraid, even if you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say. Do not be terrified by them. They always refuse to obey me.You must give them my message. They might listen, or they might not. After all, they refuse to obey me.

The Lord told me,“ Shout out loud. Do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet. Tell my people that they have refused to obey me. Tell the family of Jacob how much they have sinned.

The commander came up and arrested Paul. He ordered him to be held with two chains. Then he asked who Paul was and what he had done.

I completely expect and hope that I won’t be ashamed in any way. I’m sure I will be brave enough. Now as always Christ will receive glory because of what happens to me. He will receive glory whether I live or die.

Paul replied,“ I don’t care if it takes a short time or a long time. I pray to God for you and all who are listening to me today. I pray that you may become like me, except for these chains.”

I am suffering for it. I have even been put in chains like someone who has committed a crime. But God’s word is not held back by chains.

I am a prisoner because of the Lord. So I am asking you to live a life worthy of what God chose you for.

Pray also for me. Pray that whenever I speak, the right words will be given to me. Then I can be bold as I tell the mystery of the good news.

Peter and the other apostles replied,“ We must obey God instead of people!

Dear friends, I really wanted to write to you about the salvation we share. But now I feel I should write and ask you to stand up for the faith. God’s holy people were trusted with it once and for all time.

You know what happened earlier in the city of Philippi. We suffered, and people treated us very badly there. But God gave us the boldness to tell you his good news. We preached to you even when people strongly opposed us.