< 2 Corinthians 1 >
1 Pavl an Apostle of JESVS Christ, by the will of God, and our brother Timotheus, to the Church of God, which is at Corinthus with all the Saints, which are in all Achaia:
To the church of God in Corinth, and to all Christ’s people throughout Greece, from Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, by the will of God, and from Timothy, who is also a follower.
2 Grace be with you, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Iesus Christ.
May God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ bless you and give you peace.
3 Blessed be God, euen the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort,
Blessed is the God and Father of Jesus Christ our Lord, the all-merciful Father, the God ever ready to console,
4 Which comforteth vs in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any affliction by the comfort wherewith we our selues are comforted of God.
who consoles us in all our troubles, so that we may be able to console those who are in any trouble with the consolation that we ourselves receive from him.
5 For as the sufferings of Christ abounde in vs, so our consolation aboundeth through Christ.
It is true that we have our full share of the sufferings of the Christ, but through the Christ we have also our full share of consolation.
6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and saluation, which is wrought in the induring of the same sufferings, which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and saluation.
If we meet with trouble, it is for the sake of your consolation and salvation; and, if we find consolation, it is for the sake of the consolation that you will experience when you are called to endure the sufferings that we ourselves are enduring;
7 And our hope is stedfast concerning you, in as much as we know that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.
and our hope for you remains unshaken. We know that, as you are sharing our sufferings, you will also share our consolation.
8 For brethren, we woulde not haue you ignorant of our affliction, which came vnto vs in Asia, howe we were pressed out of measure passing strength, so that we altogether doubted, euen of life.
We want you, friends, to know that, in the troubles which befell us in Roman Asia, we were burdened altogether beyond our strength, so much so that we even despaired of life.
9 Yea, we receiued the sentence of death in our selues, because we shoulde not trust in our selues, but in God, which rayseth the dead.
Indeed, we had the presentiment that we must die, so that we might rely, not on ourselves, but on God who raises the dead.
10 Who deliuered vs from so great a death, and doeth deliuer vs: in whom we trust, that yet hereafter he will deliuer vs,
And from so imminent a death God delivered us, and will deliver us again; for in him we have placed our hopes of future deliverance, while you, also, help us by your prayers.
11 So that ye labour together in prayer for vs, that for the gift bestowed vpon vs for many, thankes may be giuen by many persons for vs.
And then many lips will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us in answer to many prayers.
12 For our reioycing is this, the testimonie of our conscience, that in simplicitie and godly purenesse, and not in fleshly wisedome, but by the grace of God wee haue had our conuersation in the worlde, and most of all to you wardes.
Indeed, our main ground for satisfaction is this – Our conscience tells us that our conduct in the world, and still more in our relations with you, was marked by a purity of motive and a sincerity that were inspired by God, and was based, not on worldly policy, but on the help of God.
13 For wee write none other thinges vnto you, then that ye reade or els that ye acknowledge, and I trust ye shall acknowledge vnto ye end.
We never write anything to you other than what you will acknowledge to the very end –
14 Euen as ye haue acknowledged vs partly, that we are your reioycing, euen as ye are ours, in the day of our Lord Iesus.
And, indeed, you have already partly acknowledged it about us – that you have a right to be proud of us, as we will be proud of you, on the day of our Lord Jesus.
15 And in this confidence was I minded first to come vnto you, that ye might haue had a double grace,
With this conviction in my mind, I planned to come to see you first, so that your pleasure might be doubled –
16 And to passe by you into Macedonia, and to come againe out of Macedonia vnto you, and to be led foorth towarde Iudea of you.
To visit you both on my way to Macedonia, and to come to you again on my return from Macedonia, and then to get you to send me on my way into Judea.
17 When I therefore was thus minded, did I vse lightnesse? or minde I those thinges which I minde, according to the flesh, that with me should be, Yea, yea, and Nay, nay?
As this was my plan, where, pray, did I show any fickleness of purpose? Or do you think that my plans are formed on mere impulse, so that in the same breath I say “Yes” and “No”?
18 Yea, God is faithfull, that our worde towarde you was not Yea, and Nay.
As God is true, the message that we brought you does not waver between “Yes” and “No”!
19 For the Sonne of God Iesus Christ, who was preached among you by vs, that is, by me, and Siluanus, and Timotheus, was not Yea, and Nay: but in him it was Yea.
The Son of God, Christ Jesus, whom we – Silas, Timothy, and I – proclaimed among you, never wavered between “Yes” and “No.” With him it has always been “Yes.”
20 For all the promises of God in him are Yea, and are in him Amen, vnto the glorie of God through vs.
For, many as were the promises of God, in Christ is the “Yes” that fulfils them. Therefore, through Christ again, let the “Amen” rise, through us, to the glory of God.
21 And it is God which stablisheth vs with you in Christ, and hath anoynted vs.
God who brings us, with you, into close union with Christ, and who consecrated us,
22 Who hath also sealed vs, and hath giuen the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
also set his seal on us, and gave us his Spirit in our hearts as a pledge of future blessings.
23 Nowe, I call God for a recorde vnto my soule, that to spare you, I came not as yet vnto Corinthus.
But, as my life will answer for it, I call God to witness that it was to spare you that I deferred my visit to Corinth.
24 Not that wee haue dominion ouer your faith, but wee are helpers of your ioy: for by faith yee stande.
I do not mean that we are to dictate to you with regard to your faith; on the contrary, we work with you for your true happiness; indeed, it is through your faith that you are standing firm.