2 Corinthians 6

1 As fellow-workers, then, with him, we also exhort you that ye receive not the grace of God in vain;

As a worker with him I beseech you not to receive the grace of God in vain.

2 (for he saith: “In an accepted time I heard thee, and in the day of salvation I helped thee;” Behold, now is the accepted time, behold, 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 giving no occasion for stumbling in anything, that the ministry may not be blamed;

I am giving no one a cause of stumbling in order that my ministry may not be discredited;

4 but as God's ministers recommending ourselves in all things, in much endurance, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,

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 stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in watchings, in fastings;

by floggings, by imprisonment; in riots, in labors, in sleepless watching, in hunger and thirst;

6 in pureness, in knowledge, in long-suffering, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in love unfeigned,

with purity, understanding, patience, and kindness; by the Holy Spirit, by love sincere,

7 in the word of truth, in the power of God, by the weapons of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,

by a true teaching and an energy divine; by the weapons of righteousness, for attack or for defense,

8 through honor and dishonor, through evil report and good report; as deceivers, and true;

amid honor or dishonor, amid evil report and good report; as a deceiver and yet true;

9 as unknown, and well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as chastened, and 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 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and possessing all things.

as grieved, but always glad; as poor, but making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.

11 Our mouth is open to you, O Corinthians, our heart is enlarged.

O Corinthians, I am unsealing my lips to you; my heart is wide open to you.

12 Ye have not a narrow place in my heart, but ye have a narrow place for me in yours.

There is no narrowness in my love; but the narrowness is in your own.

13 So then in return, I speak to you as children, let your hearts be enlarged.

I pray you, therefore, in fair exchange (I speak as to my children), let your hearts also be wide open to me.

14 Be not strangely yoked with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? Or what communion hath light with darkness?

Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers; for what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? what communion has light with darkness?

15 And what concord hath Christ with Beliar? Or what part hath a believer with an unbeliever?

What concord has Christ with Belial? What portion has a believer with an unbeliever?

16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God said: “I will dwell among them, and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall 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 “Wherefore come out from the midst of them, and be separated, saith the Lord, and touch not anything unclean;” “and I will receive you,

Therefore, Come out from among them and separate yourselves, saith the Lord, touch not what is unclean;

18 and will be to you a father, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith 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.