2 Corinthians 6
1 Therefore, as God’s fellow workers, we also appeal to you not to receive his loving kindness in vain.
And working together [with him] we entreat also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain
2 For he says – “At the time for acceptance I listened to you, and on the day of deliverance I helped you.” Now is the time for acceptance! Now is the day of deliverance!
(for he saith, At an acceptable time I hearkened unto thee, And in a day of salvation did I succour thee: behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation):
3 Never do we put an obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry.
giving no occasion of stumbling in anything, that our ministration be not blamed;
4 No, we are trying to commend ourselves under all circumstances, as God’s assistants should – in many an hour of endurance, in troubles, in hardships, in difficulties,
but in everything commending ourselves, as ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,
5 in floggings, in imprisonments, in riots, in toils, in sleepless nights, in hunger;
in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;
6 by purity, by knowledge, by patience, by kindliness, by holiness of spirit, by unfeigned love;
in pureness, in knowledge, in longsuffering, in kindness, in the Holy Ghost, in love unfeigned,
7 by the message of truth, and by the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left;
in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,
8 amid honour and disrepute, amid slander and praise; regarded as deceivers, yet proved to be true;
by glory and dishonour, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and [yet] true;
9 as unknown, yet well-known; as at death’s door, yet, see, we are living; as chastised, yet not killed;
as unknown, and [yet] well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;
10 as saddened, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet enriching many; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things!
as sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and [yet] possessing all things.
11 We have been speaking freely to you, dear friends in Corinth; we have opened our heart;
Our mouth is open unto you, O Corinthians, our heart is enlarged.
12 there is room there for you, yet there is not room, in your love, for us.
Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own affections.
13 Can you not in return – I appeal to you as I should to children – open your hearts to us?
Now for a recompense in like kind (I speak as unto [my] children), be ye also enlarged.
14 Do not enter into inconsistent relations with those who reject the faith. For what partnership can there be between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what has light to do with darkness?
Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? or what communion hath light with darkness?
15 What harmony can there be between Christ and Belial? Or what can those who accept the faith have in common with those who reject it?
And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what portion hath a believer with an unbeliever?
16 What agreement can there be between a temple of God and idols? And we are a temple of the living God. That is what God meant when he said – “I will live among them, and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they will be my people.
And what agreement hath a temple of God with idols? for we are a temple of the living God; even as God said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17 Therefore ‘Come out from among the nations, and separate yourselves from them,’ says the Lord, ‘And touch nothing impure; and I will welcome you;
Wherefore Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, And touch no unclean thing; And I will receive you,
18 and I will be a father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters,’ says the Lord, the Ruler of all.”
And will be to you a Father, And ye shall be to me sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
