2 Corinthians 6

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

Working together, we entreat also that you do not receive the grace of God in vain.

2 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!

For he says, “At an acceptable time I listened to you. In a day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is the acceptable time. Behold, now is the day of salvation.

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

We give no occasion of stumbling in anything, that our service may not be blamed,

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

but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God: in great endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses,

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

in beatings, in imprisonments, in riots, in labors, in watchings, in fastings,

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

in pureness, in knowledge, in perseverance, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in sincere love,

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

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

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

by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report, as deceivers and yet true,

9 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;

as unknown and yet well known, as dying and behold—we live, as punished and not killed,

10 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.

as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing and yet possessing all things.

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

Our mouth is open to you, Corinthians. Our heart is enlarged.

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

You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections.

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

Now in return—I speak as to my children—you also open your hearts.

14 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?

Don’t be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship do righteousness and iniquity have? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?

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

What agreement does Christ have with Belial? Or what portion does a believer have with an unbeliever?

16 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."

What agreement does a temple of God have with idols? For you are a temple of the living God. Even as God said, “I will dwell in them and walk in them. I will be their God and they will be my people.”

17 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,

Therefore “‘Come out from among them, and be separate,’ says the Lord. ‘Touch no unclean thing. I will receive you.

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

I will be to you a Father. You will be to me sons and daughters,’ says the Lord Almighty.”