2 Corinthians 1

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Timothy the brother, to the congregation of God that is at Corinth, with all the sanctified who are in the whole of Achaia.

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God in Corinth, together with all the saints throughout Achaia:

2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all encouragement,

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

4 who encourages us in all our affliction, in order for us to be able to encourage those in every affliction, through the encouragement of which we ourselves are encouraged by God.

who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we can comfort those experiencing any kind of affliction with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

5 Because, as the sufferings of the Christ abound to us, so also our encouragement abounds through the Christ.

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

6 But whether we are oppressed, it is for your encouragement and salvation, which works by endurance from the same sufferings that we also experience (and our hope for you is steadfast), or we are encouraged, it is for your encouragement and salvation,

If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation, which helps you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. And our hope for you is steadfast. If we are comforted, it is also for your comfort and salvation,

7 knowing that, as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so also of the encouragement.

because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

8 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, about our affliction that happened to us in Asia, because we were extraordinarily weighed down, above strength, so as for us to despair even to be alive.

We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself.

9 But we ourselves have had the sentence of death in ourselves, so that we should not be trusting in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead.

Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But this happened so that we would not rely on ourselves, but on God, who raises the dead.

10 Who rescued us out of so great a death, and does rescue, in whom we have hoped that he will also still rescue.

He rescued us from such a terrible death, and continues to rescue us. We have put our hope in him that he will rescue us yet again

11 And of you who help together by supplication for us (a gift for us from many persons, because of many), so that there may be gratitude about you.

as you join in helping us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on your behalf for the favor granted to us through the prayers of many.

12 For our pride is this (the testimony from our conscience), that we behave in the world in the simplicity and purity of God, not by fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, and especially toward you.

Now this is the reason for our confidence: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you, with integrity and godly sincerity, not by worldly wisdom, but by the grace of God.

13 For we write no other thing to you, but rather what ye read or also acknowledge. And I hope ye will also acknowledge until the end,

For we are not writing anything to you other than what you can read and understand. And I hope that you will understand completely—

14 as also ye did acknowledge us in part, because we are your boast, just as ye also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus.

just as you have understood us in part—that on the day of the Lord Jesus you will be proud of us just as we will be proud of you.

15 And in this confidence I intended to come to you earlier, so that ye might have a second benefit,

Because I was confident of this, I intended to come to you first, so that you would be blessed by a second visit.

16 and to pass through you into Macedonia, and to come again from Macedonia to you, and by you to be helped on the way toward Judea.

I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia and return to you from Macedonia, and then have you send me on my way to Judea.

17 Therefore intending this, did I accordingly employ anything in lightness? Or what I decide, do I decide according to flesh, so that it would be with me the yes, yes and the no, no?

Was I vacillating when I planned to do this? Or do I make my plans in a worldly manner, ready to say “Yes” and “No” at the same time?

18 But God is faithful, because our word toward you became not, yes and no.

As surely as God is faithful, our message to you did not waver between “Yes” and “No.”

19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ who was proclaimed among you by us (by me and Silvanus and Timothy) became not, yes and no, but in him has become, yes.

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom Silvanus, Timothy, and I preached among you, did not waver between “Yes” and “No.” On the contrary, in him God's answer has always been “Yes.”

20 For as many as be promises of God, in him is the Yes, and in him the Truly, for glory to God through us.

For in him every one of God's promises is “Yes,” and in him we say “Amen” to the glory of God.

21 Now he who establishes us with you in Christ, and who anointed us, is God.

Now it is God who establishes us with you in Christ and who anointed us.

22 He also is who put a seal on us, and who gave the pledge of the Spirit in our hearts.

He has also sealed us and put his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

23 But I call God for a witness upon my soul, that I did not yet come to Corinth, sparing you.

I call upon God as a witness against me, that the reason I did not return to Corinth was to spare you.

24 Not because we lord over your faith, but are co-workmen of your joy, for by faith ye stand.

Not that we rule over your faith; rather, we work with you for your joy, because by faith you stand firm.