2 Corinthians 6
1 As God’s fellow workers, then, we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.
As a worker with him I beseech you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
2 For He says: “In the time of favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is the time of favor; now is the day of salvation!
For he said. In an acceptable time have I heard thee, And in the day of salvation have I succored thee. Behold, now is the acceptable time! behold, now is the day of salvation!
3 We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no one can discredit our ministry.
I am giving no one a cause of stumbling in order that my ministry may not be discredited;
4 Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships, and calamities;
but in every way I am striving to commend myself as God’s minister by stedfast endurance, by afflictions, by troubles, by distresses,
5 in beatings, imprisonments, and riots; in labor, sleepless nights, and hunger;
by floggings, by imprisonment; in riots, in labors, in sleepless watching, in hunger and thirst;
6 in purity, knowledge, patience, and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love;
with purity, understanding, patience, and kindness; by the Holy Spirit, by love sincere,
7 in truthful speech and in the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left;
by a true teaching and an energy divine; by the weapons of righteousness, for attack or for defense,
8 through glory and dishonor, slander and praise; viewed as imposters, yet genuine;
amid honor or dishonor, amid evil report and good report; as a deceiver and yet true;
9 as unknown, yet well-known; dying, and yet we live on; punished, yet not killed;
as unknown and yet well known; as at death’s door, yet, strange to tell, I live on; as chastened, but not killed;
10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
as grieved, but always glad; as poor, but making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.
11 We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians. Our hearts are open wide.
O Corinthians, I am unsealing my lips to you; my heart is wide open to you.
12 It is not our affection, but yours, that is restrained.
There is no narrowness in my love; but the narrowness is in your own.
13 As a fair exchange, I ask you as my children: Open wide your hearts also.
I pray you, therefore, in fair exchange (I speak as to my children), let your hearts also be wide open to me.
14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?
Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers; for what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? what communion has light with darkness?
15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?
What concord has Christ with Belial? What portion has a believer with an unbeliever?
16 What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.”
And what compact has God’s temple with idols? For we are a temple of the living God, as he has said. I will dwell among them, and walk about among them; I will be their God, and they will be my people.
17 “Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”
Therefore, Come out from among them and separate yourselves, saith the Lord, touch not what is unclean;
18 And: “I will be a Father to you, and you will be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
then I will receive you and will be to you a Father, and you shall be to me sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
