2 Corinthians 6

1 Therefore, as God’s fellow workers, we also appeal to you not to receive his loving kindness in vain.

And you also we, as God's fellow workers, entreat not to be found to have received His grace to no purpose.

2 For he says – ‘At the time for acceptance I listened to you, and on the day of deliverance I helped you.’ Now is the time for acceptance! Now is the day of deliverance!

For He says, "At a time of welcome I have listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have succoured you." Now is the time of loving welcome! Now is the day of salvation!

3 Never do we put an obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry.

We endeavour to give people no cause for stumbling in anything, lest the work we are doing should fall into discredit.

4 No, we are trying to commend ourselves under all circumstances, as God’s assistants should – in many an hour of endurance, in troubles, in hardships, in difficulties,

On the contrary, as God's servants, we seek their full approval--by unwearied endurance, by afflictions, by distress, by helplessness;

5 in floggings, in imprisonments, in riots, in toils, in sleepless nights, in hunger;

by floggings, by imprisonments; by facing riots, by toil, by sleepless watching, by hunger and thirst;

6 by purity, by knowledge, by patience, by kindliness, by holiness of spirit, by unfeigned love;

by purity of life, by knowledge, by patience, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love;

7 by the message of truth, and by the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left;

by the proclamation of the truth, by the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness, wielded in both hands;

8 amid honor and disrepute, amid slander and praise; regarded as deceivers, yet proved to be true;

through honour and ignominy, through calumny and praise. We are looked upon as impostors and yet are true men;

9 as unknown, yet well-known; as at death’s door, yet, see, we are living; as chastised, yet not killed;

as obscure persons, and yet are well known; as on the point of death, and yet, strange to tell, we live; as under God's discipline, and yet we are not deprived of life;

10 as saddened, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet enriching many; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things!

as sad, but we are always joyful; as poor, but we bestow wealth on many; as having nothing, and yet we securely possess all things.

11 We have been speaking freely to you, dear friends in Corinth; we have opened our heart;

O Corinthians, our lips are unsealed to you: our heart is expanded.

12 there is room there for you, yet there is not room, in your love, for us.

There is no narrowness in our love to you: the narrowness is in your own feelings.

13 Can you not in return – I appeal to you as I should to children – open your hearts to us?

And in just requital--I speak as to my children--let your hearts expand also.

14 Do not enter into inconsistent relations with those who reject the faith. For what partnership can there be between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what has light to do with darkness?

Do not come into close association with unbelievers, like oxen yoked with asses. For what is there in common between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what partnership has light with darkness?

15 What harmony can there be between Christ and Belial? Or what can those who accept the faith have in common with those who reject it?

Where can harmony between Christ and Belial be found? Or what participation has a believer with an unbeliever?

16 What agreement can there be between a temple of God and idols? And we are a temple of the living God. That is what God meant when he said – ‘I will live among them, and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they will be my people.

And what compact has the Temple of God with idols? For we are the Temple of the ever-living God; as God has said, "I will dwell among them, and walk about among them; and will be their God, and it is they who shall be My people."

17 Therefore “Come out from among the nations, and separate yourselves from them,” says the Lord, “And touch nothing impure; and I will welcome you;

Therefore, "'Come out from among them and separate yourselves,' says the Lord, 'and touch nothing impure; and I will receive you, and will be a Father to you,

18 and I will be a father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters,” says the Lord, the Ruler of all.’

and you shall be My sons and daughters,' says the Lord the Ruler of all."