2 Corinthians 1

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God that is in Corinth, and to all the believers in the entire region of Achaia.

Paul, apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and brother Timothy, to the church of God that is in Corinth, together with all the saints throughout Achaia:

2 May grace be to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and Sovereign Jesus Christ.

3 May the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ be praised. He is the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.

All praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and God of all encouragement,

4 God comforts us in all our affliction, so that we can comfort those who are in any affliction. We comfort others with the same comfort that God used to comfort us.

who encourages us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to encourage those who are in whatever affliction, by means of the encouragement with which we ourselves are encouraged by God.

5 For just as the sufferings of Christ abound for our sake, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.

Because just as the sufferings of the Christ flow over into us, so also our encouraging overflows, through Christ.

6 But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort. Your comfort is working effectively when you patiently share in the same sufferings that we also suffer.

Now then, if we are afflicted, it is for the sake of your encouragement and deliverance, that are effective for enduring the same sufferings that we also are suffering

7 Our expectation concerning you is unshaken, for we know that as you share the sufferings, you also share our comfort.

(yes, our hope concerning you is steadfast); if we are encouraged, it also is for the sake of your encouragement and deliverance, since we know that you will share in the encouragement just as you do in the sufferings.

8 For we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the troubles we had in Asia. We were so completely crushed beyond our strength that we despaired even of life.

And so, brothers, we do not want you to be in ignorance concerning the affliction that came upon us in Asia: we were under extreme pressure, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life.

9 Indeed, we had the sentence of death on us. But that was to make us not put our trust in ourselves, but instead in God, who raises the dead.

Yes, we ourselves have had the sentence of death within ourselves, so that we not place confidence in ourselves, but in the God who raises the dead;

10 He rescued us from such a deadly peril, and he will rescue us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us.

He did deliver us from that deadly peril, and still delivers; in whom we trust that He will keep on delivering,

11 He will do this as you also help us by your prayer. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor given to us through the prayers of many.

you also adding your cooperation in prayer, on our behalf; that thanks may be given by many persons for the gift bestowed on us by means of many, on your behalf.

12 We are proud of this: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world with holiness and godly sincerity, not relying on fleshly wisdom but on the grace of God.

Now this is our boast: the testimony of our conscience that we have conducted ourselves in the world with openness and godly sincerity, not by fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and especially toward you.

13 We write to you nothing that you cannot read and understand. I expect that,

For we do not write you any other things than what you can read and understand; and I do hope that you will keep on understanding to the end

14 as you have understood us in part, we will be your reason for boasting on the day of our Lord Jesus, just as you will be our reason to boast.

(as indeed some of you have acknowledged) that we are your boast, just as you are ours, in the day of the Lord Jesus.

15 Because I was confident about this, I wanted to come to you first, so that you might receive the benefit of two visits.

It was in this confidence that I was planning to come by you first,

16 I was planning to visit you on my way to Macedonia. Then I wanted to visit you again on my trip from Macedonia, and then for you to send me on my way to Judea.

and by you to proceed into Macedonia, and to come back to you from Macedonia (that you might benefit twice), and then to be sent by you on my way to Judea.

17 When I was thinking this way, was I hesitating? Do I plan things according to human standards, so that I say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time?

Now then, when I was deciding this, I was not acting frivolously, was I? Or the things I decide, do I decide according to the flesh, so that with me there would be both “Yes, yes” and “No, no”?

18 But just as God is faithful, we do not say both “Yes” and “No.”

As God is faithful, our word to you was not “Yes” and “No”,

19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom Silvanus, Timothy and I proclaimed among you, is not “Yes” and “No.” Instead, he is always “Yes.”

because the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was proclaimed among you by us—by me and Silvanus and Timothy—was not “Yes” and “No”. In fact, with Him it has always been “Yes”,

20 For all the promises of God are “Yes” in him. So also through him we say “Amen” to the glory of God.

because all the promises of God in Him are “Yes”; indeed, in Him they are “Amen”, that there be glory to God through us.

21 Now it is God who confirms us with you in Christ, and he appointed us,

Now He who establishes us together with you into Christ, and who anointed us, is God,

22 he set his seal on us and he gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee of what is to come.

who also sealed us and gave us the down payment of the Spirit in our hearts.

23 Instead, I call God to bear witness for me that the reason I did not come to Corinth was so that I might spare you.

For my part, I call on God as witness, upon my soul, that it was to spare you that I have not yet returned to Corinth.

24 This is not because we are trying to control what your faith should be. Instead, we are working with you for your joy, as you stand in your faith.

(Not that we have control over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, for it is by faith that you stand firm.)