23
Our slavery won't bring us favor. Rather, the Lord our God will turn it into a disgrace.
24
"Now, brothers, let us be an example to those whose lives depend on us. The sanctuary, the temple, and the altar depend on us as well.
25
In the midst of all this, let us give thanks to the Lord our God, who is testing us just as he did our ancestors.
26
Remember what he did with Abraham, how he tested Isaac, and what happened to Jacob while he was in Mesopotamia of Syria, tending his uncle Laban's sheep?
27
He hasn't yet tested us with fire, as he did them to examine their hearts, nor has he taken vengeance upon us. Rather, the Lord afflicts those close to him in order to warn them."