2 Corinthians 1

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the assembly of God which is at Corinth, 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 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the 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 mercies and God of all comfort,

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

4 who comforts us in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, through the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted 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 For as the sufferings of Christ abound to us, even so our comfort also abounds through Christ.

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 if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you the patient enduring 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 Our hope for you is steadfast, knowing that, since you are partakers of the sufferings, so you are also of the comfort.

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 don’t desire to have you uninformed, brothers, concerning our affliction which happened to us in Asia: that we were weighed down exceedingly, beyond our power, so much 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 Yes, we ourselves have had the sentence of death within ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises 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 delivered us out of so great a death, and does deliver, on whom we have set our hope that he will also still deliver us,

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 you also helping together on our behalf by your supplication; that, for the gift given to us by means of many, thanks may be given by many persons on your 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 testimony of our conscience that in holiness and sincerity of God, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we behaved ourselves in the world, and more abundantly toward 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 we write no other things to you than what you read or even acknowledge, and I hope you will acknowledge to the end—

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

14 as also you acknowledged us in part—that we are your boasting, even as you also are 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 In this confidence, I was determined to come first to you, that you might have a second benefit,

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

16 and by you to pass into Macedonia, and again from Macedonia to come to you, and to be sent forward by you on my journey to 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 When I therefore planned this, did I show fickleness? Or the things that I plan, do I plan according to the flesh, that with me there should be the “Yes, yes” and the “No, no?”

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 But as God is faithful, our word toward you was not “Yes and no.”

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

19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me, Silvanus, and Timothy—was not “Yes and no,” but in him is “Yes.”

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 however many are the promises of God, in him is the “Yes.” Therefore also through him is the “Amen”, to the glory of God 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 who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God,

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

22 who also sealed us and gave us the down payment 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 God for a witness to my soul, that to spare you, I didn’t come to 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 We don’t control your faith, but are fellow workers with you for your joy. For you stand firm in faith.

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.