2 Corinthians 1

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, through the will of God, and Timotheus the brother, to the assembly of God that is in Corinth, with all the saints who are in all 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 [is] God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of the 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 is comforting us in all our tribulation, for our being able to comfort those in any tribulation through the comfort with which we are comforted ourselves 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 because, as the sufferings of the Christ do abound to us, so through the Christ doth abound also our comfort;

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 and whether we be in tribulation, [it is] for your comfort and salvation, that is wrought in the enduring of the same sufferings that we also suffer; whether we are comforted, [it is] for your comfort and salvation;

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 and our hope [is] stedfast for you, knowing that even as ye are partakers of the sufferings — so 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 do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, of our tribulation that happened to us in Asia, that we were exceedingly burdened above [our] power, so 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 but we ourselves in ourselves the sentence of the death have had, that we may not be trusting on ourselves, but on God, who is raising 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 out of so great a death did deliver us, and doth deliver, in whom we have hoped that even yet He will deliver;

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 ye working together also for us by your supplication, that the gift through many persons to us, through many may be thankfully acknowledged for us.

And then many lips will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us in answer to many prayers.

12 For our glorying is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and sincerity of God, not in fleshly wisdom, but in the grace of God, we did conduct 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 no other things do we write to you, but what ye either do read or also acknowledge, and I hope that also unto the end ye shall acknowledge,

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

14 according as also ye did acknowledge us in part, that your glory we are, even as also ye [are] ours, in the day of the 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 and in this confidence I was purposing to come unto you before, that a second favour ye might have,

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

16 and through you to pass to Macedonia, and again from Macedonia to come unto you, and by you to be sent forward 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 This, therefore, counselling, did I then use the lightness; or the things that I counsel, according to the flesh do I counsel, that it may be with me Yes, yes, and 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 and God [is] faithful, that our word unto you became 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, among you through us having been preached — through me and Silvanus and Timotheus — did not become Yes and No, but in him it hath become 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 as many as [are] promises of God, in him [are] the Yes, and in him the Amen, for glory to 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 and He who is confirming you with us into Christ, and did anoint 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 the earnest 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 And I for a witness on God do call upon my soul, that sparing you, I came not yet 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 not that we are lords over your faith, but we are workers together with your joy, for by the faith ye stand.

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.