2 Corinthians 1

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, through the will of God, and Timothy the brother, —unto the assembly of God which is in Corinth, together with all the saints who are in the whole of 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, a Brother.

2 Favour unto you, and peace, from God [our] Father, and Lord Jesus Christ.

May God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ bless you and give you peace.

3 Blessed, be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassions, and God of all encouragement,

Blessed is the God and Father of Jesus Christ our Lord, the all-merciful Father, the God ever ready to console,

4 Who encourageth us in all our tribulation, to the end we may be able to encourage them who are in any tribulation—through means of the encouragement wherewith we, ourselves, are encouraged by 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 Because, even as the sufferings of the Christ overflow unto us, so, through the Christ, overfloweth, our encouragement also.

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 But, whether we are in tribulation, it is for your encouragement and salvation; whether we are encouraged, it is for your encouragement, which worketh inwardly by the endurance of the same sufferings which, we also, suffer; —

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 very sufferings that we ourselves are enduring;

7 And so, our hope, is sure in your behalf, —knowing that, —as ye are sharers of the sufferings, so, also of the encouragement.

and our hope for you remains unshaken. We know that, as you are sharing our sufferings, you will also share our consolation.

8 For we do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, as to our tribulation which happened in Asia, —that, exceedingly, beyond power, were we weighed down, so that we despaired, even of life.

We want you, Brothers, 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 But, we ourselves, within ourselves, have had the sentence of death, that we might not rest our confidence upon ourselves, but upon God, who raiseth 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, out of so great a death, rescued us, and will rescue, —unto whom we have turned our hope, [that], even yet, he will rescue:

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 Ye also labouring together on our behalf, by your supplication, that, unto many persons, being due the gift of favour, unto us, through means of many, might thanks be given in our behalf.

And then many lips will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us in answer to many prayers.

12 For, our boasting, is, this, —the witness of our conscience, that, in sanctity and sincerity of God, [and] not in fleshly wisdom, but in God’s favour, have we behaved ourselves in the world, —and more abundantly towards you.

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, no other things, are we writing unto you, than what ye are either reading or even acknowledging, —I hope, moreover, that, throughout, ye will acknowledge,

We never write anything to you other than what you will acknowledge to the very end —

14 According as ye have also acknowledged us, in part, —that, your theme of boasting, we are, even indeed as, ye, also [shall be], ours, in the day of our Lord Jesus.

And, indeed, you have already partly acknowledged it about us — that you have a right to be proud of us, as we shall be proud of you, on the Day of our Lord Jesus.

15 And, in this confidence, I purposed, before, to come unto you, —in order that, a second joy, ye might have, —

With this conviction in my mind, I planned to come to see you first, so that your pleasure might be doubled —

16 And, by your means, to pass into Macedonia, and, again, from Macedonia, to come unto you, and, by you, be set forward unto Judea: —

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 This, then, being my purpose, perhaps, after all, with lightness, I dealt [with the matter]? or, the things that I purpose, according to the flesh, I purpose, —that, with me, should be the Yea, yea, and the 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 Faithful, however, is God, in that, our discourse, which was [delivered] unto you, is not Yea and Nay;

As God is true, the Message that we brought you does not waver between ‘Yes’ and ‘No’!

19 For, the Son of God, Christ Jesus—who, among you, through us, was proclaimed, —through me, and Silvanus, and Timothy, became not Yea and Nay, —but Yea, in him, hath it become;

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, how many soever be the promises of God, in him, is the Yea, —wherefore also, through him, [be] the Amen, unto God, for glory, through us.

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 Now, he that confirmeth us, together with you, for Christ, and hath anointed us, is God:

God who brings us, with you, into close union with Christ, and who consecrated us,

22 Who also hath sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

also set his seal upon us, and gave us his Spirit in our hearts as a pledge of future blessings.

23 But, I, call upon God, as a witness, against my own soul, —that, to spare you, not yet, have I come unto Corinth:

But, as my life shall answer for it, I call God to witness that it was to spare you that I deferred my visit to Corinth.

24 Not that we have lordship over your faith, but are, helpers, of your joy, for, by your faith, ye stand.

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.