2 Corinthians 1

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

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God that is in Corinth, and to all the believers in the entire region of Achaia.

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

May grace be to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

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

May the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ be praised. He is the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.

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

God comforts us in all our affliction, so that we can comfort those who are in any affliction. We comfort others with the same comfort that God used to comfort us.

5 For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

For just as the sufferings of Christ abound for our sake, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.

6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which accomplishes in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we experience.

But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort. Your comfort is working effectively when you patiently share in the same sufferings that we also suffer.

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

Our expectation concerning you is unshaken, for we know that as you share the sufferings, you also share our comfort.

8 We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the hardships we encountered in the province of Asia. We were under a burden far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.

For we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the troubles we had in Asia. We were so completely crushed beyond our strength that we despaired even of life.

9 Indeed, we felt we were under the sentence of death, in order that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God, who raises the dead.

Indeed, we had the sentence of death on us. But that was to make us not put our trust in ourselves, but instead in God, who raises the dead.

10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. In Him we have placed our hope that He will yet again deliver us,

He rescued us from such a deadly peril, and he will rescue us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us.

11 as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the favor shown us in answer to their prayers.

He will do this as you also help us by your prayer. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor given to us through the prayers of many.

12 And this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in relation to you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God—not in worldly wisdom, but in the grace of God.

We are proud of this: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world with holiness and godly sincerity, not relying on fleshly wisdom but on the grace of God.

13 For we do not write you anything that is beyond your ability to read and understand. And I hope that you will understand us completely,

We write to you nothing that you cannot read and understand. I expect that,

14 as you have already understood us in part, so that you may boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of our Lord Jesus.

as you have understood us in part, we will be your reason for boasting on the day of our Lord Jesus, just as you will be our reason to boast.

15 Confident of this, I planned to visit you first, so that you might receive a double blessing.

Because I was confident about this, I wanted to come to you first, so that you might receive the benefit of two visits.

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

I was planning to visit you on my way to Macedonia. Then I wanted to visit you again on my trip from Macedonia, and then for you to send me on my way to Judea.

17 When I planned this, did I do it carelessly? Or do I make my plans by human standards, so as to say “Yes, yes” when I really mean “No, no”?

When I was thinking this way, was I hesitating? Do I plan things according to human standards, so that I say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time?

18 But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.”

But just as God is faithful, we do not say both “Yes” and “No.”

19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was proclaimed among you by me and Silvanus and Timothy, was not “Yes” and “No,” but in Him it has always been “Yes.”

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom Silvanus, Timothy and I proclaimed among you, is not “Yes” and “No.” Instead, he is always “Yes.”

20 For all the promises of God are “Yes” in Christ. And so through Him, our “Amen” is spoken to the glory of God.

For all the promises of God are “Yes” in him. So also through him we say “Amen” to the glory of God.

21 Now it is God who establishes both us and you in Christ. He anointed us,

Now it is God who confirms us with you in Christ, and he appointed us,

22 placed His seal on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a pledge of what is to come.

he set his seal on us and he gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee of what is to come.

23 I call God as my witness that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth.

Instead, I call God to bear witness for me that the reason I did not come to Corinth was so that I might spare you.

24 Not that we lord it over your faith, but we are fellow workers with you for your joy, because it is by faith that you stand firm.

This is not because we are trying to control what your faith should be. Instead, we are working with you for your joy, as you stand in your faith.