2 Corinthians 1
1 Paul, an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God--and our brother Timothy: To the Church of God in Corinth, with all God's people throughout Greece.
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God in Corinth, together with all the saints throughout Achaia:
2 May grace and peace be granted to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Heartfelt thanks be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ--the Father who is full of compassion and the God who gives all comfort.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
4 He comforts us in our every affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction by means of the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we can comfort those experiencing any kind of affliction with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
5 For just as we have more than our share of suffering for the Christ, so also through the Christ we have more than our share of comfort.
For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.
6 But if, on the one hand, we are enduring affliction, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if, on the other hand, we are receiving comfort, it is for your comfort which is produced within you through your patient fortitude under the same sufferings as those which we also are enduring.
If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation, which helps you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. And our hope for you is steadfast. If we are comforted, it is also for your comfort and salvation,
7 And our hope for you is stedfast; for we know that as you are partners with us in the sufferings, so you are also partners in the comfort.
because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
8 For as for our troubles which came upon us in the province of Asia, we would have you know, brethren, that we were exceedingly weighed down, and felt overwhelmed, so that we renounced all hope even of life.
We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself.
9 Nay, we had, as we still have, the sentence of death within our own selves, in order that our confidence may repose, not on ourselves, but on God who raised the dead to life.
Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But this happened so that we would not rely on ourselves, but on God, who raises the dead.
10 He it is who rescued us from so imminent a death, and will do so again; and we have a firm hope in Him that He will also rescue us in all the future,
He rescued us from such a terrible death, and continues to rescue us. We have put our hope in him that he will rescue us yet again
11 while you on your part lend us your aid in entreaty for us, so that from many lips thanksgivings may rise on our behalf for the boon granted to us at the intercession of many.
as you join in helping us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on your behalf for the favor granted to us through the prayers of many.
12 For the reason for our boasting is this--the testimony of our own conscience that it was in holiness and with pure motives before God, and in reliance not on worldly wisdom but on the gracious help of God, that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and above all in our relations with you.
Now this is the reason for our confidence: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you, with integrity and godly sincerity, not by worldly wisdom, but by the grace of God.
13 For we are writing to you nothing different from what we have written before, or from what indeed you already recognize as truth and will, I trust, recognize as such to the very end;
For we are not writing anything to you other than what you can read and understand. And I hope that you will understand completely—
14 just as some few of you have recognized us as your reason for boasting, even as you will be ours, on the day of Jesus our Lord.
just as you have understood us in part—that on the day of the Lord Jesus you will be proud of us just as we will be proud of you.
15 It was because I entertained this confidence that I intended to visit you before going elsewhere--so that you might receive a twofold proof of God's favour--
Because I was confident of this, I intended to come to you first, so that you would be blessed by a second visit.
16 and to pass by way of Corinth into Macedonia. Then my plan was to return from Macedonia to you, and be helped forward by you to Judaea.
I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia and return to you from Macedonia, and then have you send me on my way to Judea.
17 Did I display any vacillation or caprice in this? Or the purposes which I form--do I form them on worldly principles, now crying "Yes, yes," and now "No, no"?
Was I vacillating when I planned to do this? Or do I make my plans in a worldly manner, ready to say “Yes” and “No” at the same time?
18 As certainly as God is faithful, our language to you is not now "Yes" and now "No."
As surely as God is faithful, our message to you did not waver between “Yes” and “No.”
19 For Jesus Christ the Son of God--He who was proclaimed among you by us, that is by Silas and Timothy and myself--did not show Himself a waverer between "Yes" and "No." But it was and always is "Yes" with Him.
For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom Silvanus, Timothy, and I preached among you, did not waver between “Yes” and “No.” On the contrary, in him God's answer has always been “Yes.”
20 For all the promises of God, whatever their number, have their confirmation in Him; and for this reason through Him also our "Amen" acknowledges their truth and promotes the glory of God through our faith.
For in him every one of God's promises is “Yes,” and in him we say “Amen” to the glory of God.
21 But He who is making us as well as you stedfast through union with the Anointed One, and has anointed us, is God,
Now it is God who establishes us with you in Christ and who anointed us.
22 and He has also set His seal upon us, and has put His Spirit into our hearts as a pledge and foretaste of future blessing.
He has also sealed us and put his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.
23 But as for me, as my soul shall answer for it, I appeal to God as my witness, that it was to spare you pain that I gave up my visit to Corinth.
I call upon God as a witness against me, that the reason I did not return to Corinth was to spare you.
24 Not that we want to lord it over you in respect of your faith--we do, however, desire to help your joy--for in the matter of your faith you are standing firm.
Not that we rule over your faith; rather, we work with you for your joy, because by faith you stand firm.
