< 2 Corinthians 1 >
1 Paul, apostle of Jesus Christ by God's will, and the brother Timotheus, to the assembly of God which is in Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia.
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:
2 Grace to you, and peace from God our Father, and [the] Lord Jesus Christ.
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassions, and God of all encouragement;
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,
4 who encourages us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to encourage those who are in any tribulation whatever, through the encouragement with which we ourselves are encouraged of God.
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.
5 Because, even as the sufferings of the Christ abound towards us, so through the Christ does our encouragement also abound.
For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.
6 But whether we are in tribulation, [it is] for your encouragement and salvation, wrought in the endurance of the same sufferings which we also suffer,
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.
7 (and our hope for you [is] sure; ) or whether we are encouraged, [it is] for your encouragement and salvation: knowing that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so also of the encouragement.
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.
8 For we do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, as to our tribulation which happened [to us] in Asia, that we were excessively pressed beyond [our] power, so as to despair even of living.
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.
9 But we ourselves had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not have our trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead;
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.
10 who has delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver; in whom we confide that he will also yet deliver;
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,
11 ye also labouring together by supplication for us that the gift towards us, through means of many persons, may be the subject of the thanksgiving of many for us.
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.
12 For our boasting is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and sincerity before God, (not in fleshly wisdom but in God's grace, ) we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly towards you.
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.
13 For we do not write other things to you but what ye well know and recognise; and I hope that ye will recognise to the end,
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,
14 even as also ye have recognised us in part, that we are your boast, even as ye [are] ours in the day of the Lord Jesus.
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.
15 And with this confidence I purposed to come to you previously, that ye might have a second favour;
Confident of this, I planned to visit you first, so that you might receive a double blessing.
16 and to pass through to Macedonia by you, and again from Macedonia to come to you, and to be set forward by you to Judaea.
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.
17 Having therefore this purpose, did I then use lightness? Or what I purpose, do I purpose according to flesh, that there should be with me yea yea, and nay nay?
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”?
18 Now God [is] faithful, that our word to you is not yea and nay.
But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.”
19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, he who has been preached by us among you (by me and Silvanus and Timotheus), did not become yea and nay, but yea is in him.
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.”
20 For whatever promises of God [there are], in him is the yea, and in him the amen, for glory to God by us.
For all the promises of God are “Yes” in Christ. And so through Him, our “Amen” is spoken to the glory of God.
21 Now he that establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, [is] God,
Now it is God who establishes both us and you in Christ. He anointed us,
22 who also has sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
placed His seal on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a pledge of what is to come.
23 But I call God to witness upon my soul that to spare you I have not yet come to Corinth.
I call God as my witness that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth.
24 Not that we rule over your faith, but are fellow-workmen of your joy: for by faith ye stand.
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.