2 Corinthians 1

1 This letter comes from Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the will of God, and from Timothy, our brother. It is sent to the church of God in Corinth, together with all of God's people throughout Achaia.

PAUL a legate of Jesus the Messiah, by the good pleasure of God; and Timothy a brother; to the church of God that is at Corinth, and to all the saints that are in all Achaia.

2 May you have grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Grace be with you, and peace, from God our Father, and from our Lord Jesus the Messiah.

3 Praise be to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! He is the compassionate Father and the God of all comfort.

Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus the Messiah, the Father of mercies, and the God of all consolation;

4 He comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those who are also in trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

who comforteth us in all our afflictions, that we also might be able to comfort those who are in all afflictions, with the consolation wherewith we are comforted by God.

5 The more we share in Christ's sufferings, the more we receive the abundant comfort of Christ.

For, as the sufferings of the Messiah abound in us, so also our consolation aboundeth by the Messiah.

6 If we are in distress, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are being comforted, it is for your comfort, which results in you patiently bearing the same sufferings that we suffer.

And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and for your life that we are afflicted; or whether we be comforted, it is, that ye may be comforted; and that there may be in you an eagerness, wherewith ye may endure those sufferings which we also suffer.

7 We have great confidence in you, knowing that as you share in our sufferings you also share in our comfort.

And our hope concerning you is steadfast: for we know, that if ye partake of the sufferings, ye will also partake of the consolation.

8 Brothers and sisters, we won't keep you in the dark about the trouble we had in Asia. We were so overwhelmed that we were afraid we wouldn't have the strength to continue—so much so we doubted we would live through it.

But, my brethren, we wish you to know, respecting the affliction that was upon us in Asia, that we were afflicted exceedingly, beyond our strength, insomuch that our life was ready to terminate.

9 In fact it was like a death sentence inside us. This was to stop us relying on ourselves and to trust in God who raises the dead.

And we passed a sentence of death upon ourselves, that our confidence might not be in ourselves, but in God, who raiseth up the dead;

10 He saved us from a terrible death, and he will do so again. We have total confidence in God that he will continue to save us.

who rescued us from imminent death: and we hope that he will again rescue us,

11 You help us by praying for us. In this way many will thank God for us because of the blessing that God will give us in response to the prayers of many.

by the aid of your prayers in our behalf; so that his gift to us may be a favor done for the sake of many, and many may praise him on our account.

12 We take pride in the fact—and our conscience confirms it—that we have acted properly towards people, and especially to you. We have followed God's principles of holiness and sincerity, not according to worldly wisdom but through the grace of God.

For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and purity, and by the grace of God, and not in the wisdom of the flesh, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially towards you.

13 For we are not writing anything complicated that you can't read and understand. I hope you'll understand in the end,

We write no other things unto you, than those which ye know and acknowledge. And I trust, ye will acknowledge them to the end:

14 even if you only understand part of it now, so that when the Lord comes you will be proud of us, just as we are of you.

as ye have also partially acknowledged that we are your rejoicing, as ye also are ours, in the day of our Lord Jesus the Messiah.

15 Because I was so sure of your confidence in me I planned to come and visit you first. That way you could have benefited twice,

And in this confidence, I was before disposed to come to you, that ye might receive the grace doubly;

16 as I would go on from you to Macedonia, and then return from Macedonia to you. Then I would have had you send me on my way to Judea.

and to pass by you into Macedonia, and again to come to you from Macedonia, and so ye would accompany me to Judaea.

17 Why did I change my original plan? Do you think I make my decisions lightly? Do you think that when I plan I'm like some worldly person who says Yes and No at the same time?

When therefore I thus purposed, did I purpose as one inconsiderate? Or, were the things I purposed, things of the flesh; so that there should be in them Yes, yes, and No, no?

18 Just as God can be trusted, when we give you our word it's not both Yes and No.

God is the witness, that our word to you was not Yes and No.

19 The truth of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, was announced to you by us—me, Silvanus, and Timothy—and it wasn't both Yes and No. In Christ the answer is absolutely Yes!

For the Son of God, Jesus the Messiah, who was preached to you by us, namely, by me, by Sylvanus, and by Timotheus, was not Yes and No; but it was Yes in him.

20 However, many promises God has made, in Christ the answer is always Yes. Through him we respond, saying Yes to the glory of God.

For all the promises of God in him, the Messiah, are Yes; for which cause, we through him give our Amen, to the glory of God.

21 God has given both us and you the inner strength to stand firm in Christ. God has appointed us,

Now it is God who establisheth us, with you, in the Messiah, and hath anointed us,

22 placed his stamp of approval on us, and given us the guarantee of the Spirit to convince us.

and hath sealed us, and hath given the earnest of his Spirit in our hearts.

23 I call God as my witness that it was to avoid causing you pain that I chose not to come to Corinth.

Moreover, I call God for a witness on my soul, that it was in order to spare you, that I came not to Corinth.

24 This isn't because we want to dictate how you relate to God, but because we want to help you have a joyful experience—for it's by trusting God that you stand firm.

Not that we are lords over your faith, but we are helpers of your joy; for it is by faith ye stand.