Προς Κορινθιους Β΄ 13
1 Τρίτον τοῦτο ἔρχομαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς. Ἐπὶ στόματος δύο μαρτύρων καὶ τριῶν σταθήσεται πᾶν ῥῆμα.
This is my third visit to you. “Any charge must be verified by two or three witnesses.”
2 Προείρηκα καὶ προλέγω, ὡς παρὼν τὸ δεύτερον, καὶ ἀπὼν νῦν γράφω τοῖς προημαρτηκόσι καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς πᾶσιν, ὅτι ἐὰν ἔλθω εἰς τὸ πάλιν, οὐ φείσομαι·
I already warned those of you who were sinning when I visited the second time. Even though I'm not there, I'm warning them again—and all the rest of you—that when I visit I won't hesitate to act against them,
3 ἐπεὶ δοκιμὴν ζητεῖτε τοῦ ἐν ἐμοὶ λαλοῦντος Χριστοῦ, ὃς εἰς ὑμᾶς οὐκ ἀσθενεῖ, ἀλλὰ δυνατεῖ ἐν ὑμῖν·
since you're demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me. He is not weak in the way he relates to you; rather he works powerfully among you.
4 καὶ γὰρ εἰ ἐσταυρώθη ἐξ ἀσθενείας, ἀλλὰ ζῇ ἐκ δυνάμεως Θεοῦ. Καὶ γὰρ ἡμεῖς ἀσθενοῦμεν ἐν αὐτῷ, ἀλλὰ ζησόμεθα σὺν αὐτῷ ἐκ δυνάμεως Θεοῦ εἰς ὑμᾶς.
Even though he was crucified in weakness, now he lives through the power of God. We too are weak in him, but you will see that we live with him through the power of God.
5 Ἑαυτοὺς πειράζετε εἰ ἐστὲ ἐν τῇ πίστει, ἑαυτοὺς δοκιμάζετε. Ἢ οὐκ ἐπιγινώσκετε ἑαυτούς, ὅτι Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν ἐστιν; Εἰ μήτι ἀδόκιμοί ἐστε.
Examine yourselves to see if you are trusting God. Put yourselves to the test. Don't you yourselves realize that Jesus Christ is in you? Unless you have failed the test…
6 Ἐλπίζω δὲ ὅτι γνώσεσθε ὅτι ἡμεῖς οὐκ ἐσμὲν ἀδόκιμοι.
However, I hope that you realize that we have not failed the test.
7 Εὔχομαι δὲ πρὸς τὸν Θεόν, μὴ ποιῆσαι ὑμᾶς κακὸν μηδέν, οὐχ ἵνα ἡμεῖς δόκιμοι φανῶμεν, ἀλλ᾽ ἵνα ὑμεῖς τὸ καλὸν ποιῆτε, ἡμεῖς δὲ ὡς ἀδόκιμοι ὦμεν.
We pray to God that you won't do anything bad—not so we can show we passed the test, but so you can do what is good, even if we appear to be failures.
8 Οὐ γὰρ δυνάμεθά τι κατὰ τῆς ἀληθείας, ἀλλ᾽ ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀληθείας.
We can't do anything against the truth, only for the truth.
9 Χαίρομεν γὰρ ὅταν ἡμεῖς ἀσθενῶμεν, ὑμεῖς δὲ δυνατοὶ ἦτε· τοῦτο δὲ καὶ εὐχόμεθα, τὴν ὑμῶν κατάρτισιν.
We're happy when we are weak, and you are strong—we pray that you may continue to improve.
10 Διὰ τοῦτο ταῦτα ἀπὼν γράφω, ἵνα παρὼν μὴ ἀποτόμως χρήσωμαι, κατὰ τὴν ἐξουσίαν ἣν ἔδωκέ μοι ὁ Κύριος εἰς οἰκοδομήν, καὶ οὐκ εἰς καθαίρεσιν.
That is why I write about this while I'm not with you, so that when I am with you I won't have to treat you harshly by imposing my authority. The Lord gave me authority for building up, not for tearing down.
11 Λοιπόν, ἀδελφοί, χαίρετε· καταρτίζεσθε, παρακαλεῖσθε, τὸ αὐτὸ φρονεῖτε, εἰρηνεύετε· καὶ ὁ Θεὸς τῆς ἀγάπης καὶ εἰρήνης ἔσται μεθ᾽ ὑμῶν.
Finally, brothers and sisters, I say goodbye. Continue to improve spiritually. Encourage one another. Be in agreement. Live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.
12 Ἀσπάσασθε ἀλλήλους ἐν ἁγίῳ φιλήματι.
Greet each other with Christian affection.
13 Ἀσπάζονται ὑμᾶς οἱ ἅγιοι πάντες.
All the believers here send their greetings.
14 Ἡ χάρις τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἡ κοινωνία τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος μετὰ πάντων ὑμῶν. Ἀμήν.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
