2 Corinthians 1
1 This letter comes from Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the will of God, and from Timothy, our brother. It is sent to the church of God in Corinth, together with all of God's people throughout Achaia.
Παῦλος ἀπόστολος ⸂Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ διὰ θελήματος θεοῦ καὶ Τιμόθεος ὁ ἀδελφὸς τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ τῇ οὔσῃ ἐν Κορίνθῳ, σὺν τοῖς ἁγίοις πᾶσιν τοῖς οὖσιν ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ Ἀχαΐᾳ·
2 May you have grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη ἀπὸ θεοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν καὶ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.
3 Praise be to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! He is the compassionate Father and the God of all comfort.
Εὐλογητὸς ὁ θεὸς καὶ πατὴρ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὁ πατὴρ τῶν οἰκτιρμῶν καὶ θεὸς πάσης παρακλήσεως,
4 He comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those who are also in trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
ὁ παρακαλῶν ἡμᾶς ἐπὶ πάσῃ τῇ θλίψει ἡμῶν, εἰς τὸ δύνασθαι ἡμᾶς παρακαλεῖν τοὺς ἐν πάσῃ θλίψει διὰ τῆς παρακλήσεως ἧς παρακαλούμεθα αὐτοὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ.
5 The more we share in Christ's sufferings, the more we receive the abundant comfort of Christ.
ὅτι καθὼς περισσεύει τὰ παθήματα τοῦ Χριστοῦ εἰς ἡμᾶς, οὕτως διὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ περισσεύει καὶ ἡ παράκλησις ἡμῶν.
6 If we are in distress, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are being comforted, it is for your comfort, which results in you patiently bearing the same sufferings that we suffer.
εἴτε δὲ θλιβόμεθα, ὑπὲρ τῆς ὑμῶν παρακλήσεως καὶ σωτηρίας· ⸂εἴτε παρακαλούμεθα, ὑπὲρ τῆς ὑμῶν παρακλήσεως τῆς ἐνεργουμένης ἐν ὑπομονῇ τῶν αὐτῶν παθημάτων ὧν καὶ ἡμεῖς πάσχομεν,
7 We have great confidence in you, knowing that as you share in our sufferings you also share in our comfort.
καὶ ἡ ἐλπὶς ἡμῶν βεβαία ὑπὲρ ⸀ὑμῶν εἰδότες ὅτι ⸀ὡςκοινωνοί ἐστε τῶν παθημάτων, οὕτως καὶ τῆς παρακλήσεως.
8 Brothers and sisters, we won't keep you in the dark about the trouble we had in Asia. We were so overwhelmed that we were afraid we wouldn't have the strength to continue—so much so we doubted we would live through it.
Οὐ γὰρ θέλομεν ὑμᾶς ἀγνοεῖν, ἀδελφοί, ⸀ὑπὲρτῆς θλίψεως ἡμῶν τῆς ⸀γενομένηςἐν τῇ Ἀσίᾳ, ὅτι καθʼ ὑπερβολὴν ⸂ὑπὲρ δύναμιν ἐβαρήθημεν, ὥστε ἐξαπορηθῆναι ἡμᾶς καὶ τοῦ ζῆν·
9 In fact it was like a death sentence inside us. This was to stop us relying on ourselves and to trust in God who raises the dead.
ἀλλὰ αὐτοὶ ἐν ἑαυτοῖς τὸ ἀπόκριμα τοῦ θανάτου ἐσχήκαμεν, ἵνα μὴ πεποιθότες ὦμεν ἐφʼ ἑαυτοῖς ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ τῷ θεῷ τῷ ἐγείροντι τοὺς νεκρούς·
10 He saved us from a terrible death, and he will do so again. We have total confidence in God that he will continue to save us.
ὃς ἐκ τηλικούτου θανάτου ἐρρύσατο ἡμᾶς καὶ ⸀ῥύσεται εἰς ὃν ἠλπίκαμεν ὅτι καὶ ἔτι ῥύσεται,
11 You help us by praying for us. In this way many will thank God for us because of the blessing that God will give us in response to the prayers of many.
συνυπουργούντων καὶ ὑμῶν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶντῇ δεήσει, ἵνα ἐκ πολλῶν προσώπων τὸ εἰς ἡμᾶς χάρισμα διὰ πολλῶν εὐχαριστηθῇ ὑπὲρ ⸀ἡμῶν.
12 We take pride in the fact—and our conscience confirms it—that we have acted properly towards people, and especially to you. We have followed God's principles of holiness and sincerity, not according to worldly wisdom but through the grace of God.
Ἡ γὰρ καύχησις ἡμῶν αὕτη ἐστίν, τὸ μαρτύριον τῆς συνειδήσεως ἡμῶν, ὅτι ἐν ⸀ἁγιότητικαὶ εἰλικρινείᾳ ⸀τοῦθεοῦ, ⸀οὐκἐν σοφίᾳ σαρκικῇ ἀλλʼ ἐν χάριτι θεοῦ, ἀνεστράφημεν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ, περισσοτέρως δὲ πρὸς ὑμᾶς·
13 For we are not writing anything complicated that you can't read and understand. I hope you'll understand in the end,
οὐ γὰρ ἄλλα γράφομεν ὑμῖν ἀλλʼ ἢ ἃ ἀναγινώσκετε ἢ καὶ ἐπιγινώσκετε, ἐλπίζω δὲ ⸀ὅτιἕως τέλους ἐπιγνώσεσθε,
14 even if you only understand part of it now, so that when the Lord comes you will be proud of us, just as we are of you.
καθὼς καὶ ἐπέγνωτε ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ μέρους, ὅτι καύχημα ὑμῶν ἐσμεν καθάπερ καὶ ὑμεῖς ἡμῶνἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ κυρίου ⸀ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ.
15 Because I was so sure of your confidence in me I planned to come and visit you first. That way you could have benefited twice,
Καὶ ταύτῃ τῇ πεποιθήσει ἐβουλόμην ⸂πρότερον πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐλθεῖν, ἵνα δευτέραν ⸀χάριν⸀σχῆτε
16 as I would go on from you to Macedonia, and then return from Macedonia to you. Then I would have had you send me on my way to Judea.
καὶ διʼ ὑμῶν διελθεῖν εἰς Μακεδονίαν, καὶ πάλιν ἀπὸ Μακεδονίας ἐλθεῖν πρὸς ὑμᾶς καὶ ὑφʼ ὑμῶν προπεμφθῆναι εἰς τὴν Ἰουδαίαν.
17 Why did I change my original plan? Do you think I make my decisions lightly? Do you think that when I plan I'm like some worldly person who says Yes and No at the same time?
τοῦτο οὖν ⸀βουλόμενοςμήτι ἄρα τῇ ἐλαφρίᾳ ἐχρησάμην; ἢ ἃ βουλεύομαι κατὰ σάρκα βουλεύομαι, ἵνα ᾖ παρʼ ἐμοὶ τὸ Ναὶ ναὶ καὶ τὸ Οὒ οὔ;
18 Just as God can be trusted, when we give you our word it's not both Yes and No.
πιστὸς δὲ ὁ θεὸς ὅτι ὁ λόγος ἡμῶν ὁ πρὸς ὑμᾶς οὐκ ⸀ἔστινΝαὶ καὶ Οὔ.
19 The truth of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, was announced to you by us—me, Silvanus, and Timothy—and it wasn't both Yes and No. In Christ the answer is absolutely Yes!
ὁ ⸂τοῦ θεοῦ γὰρ υἱὸς ⸂Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ὁ ἐν ὑμῖν διʼ ἡμῶν κηρυχθείς, διʼ ἐμοῦ καὶ Σιλουανοῦ καὶ Τιμοθέου, οὐκ ἐγένετο Ναὶ καὶ Οὒ, ἀλλὰ Ναὶ ἐν αὐτῷ γέγονεν·
20 However, many promises God has made, in Christ the answer is always Yes. Through him we respond, saying Yes to the glory of God.
ὅσαι γὰρ ἐπαγγελίαι θεοῦ, ἐν αὐτῷ τὸ Ναί· ⸀διὸκαὶ ⸂διʼ αὐτοῦ τὸ Ἀμὴν τῷ θεῷ πρὸς δόξαν διʼ ἡμῶν.
21 God has given both us and you the inner strength to stand firm in Christ. God has appointed us,
ὁ δὲ βεβαιῶν ἡμᾶς σὺν ὑμῖν εἰς Χριστὸν καὶ χρίσας ἡμᾶς θεός,
22 placed his stamp of approval on us, and given us the guarantee of the Spirit to convince us.
ὁ καὶ σφραγισάμενος ἡμᾶς καὶ δοὺς τὸν ἀρραβῶνα τοῦ πνεύματος ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν.
23 I call God as my witness that it was to avoid causing you pain that I chose not to come to Corinth.
Ἐγὼ δὲ μάρτυρα τὸν θεὸν ἐπικαλοῦμαι ἐπὶ τὴν ἐμὴν ψυχήν, ὅτι φειδόμενος ὑμῶν οὐκέτι ἦλθον εἰς Κόρινθον.
24 This isn't because we want to dictate how you relate to God, but because we want to help you have a joyful experience—for it's by trusting God that you stand firm.
οὐχ ὅτι κυριεύομεν ὑμῶν τῆς πίστεως, ἀλλὰ συνεργοί ἐσμεν τῆς χαρᾶς ὑμῶν, τῇ γὰρ πίστει ἑστήκατε.
