2 Corinthians 1

1 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, who is also a follower.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God in Corinth, together with all the saints throughout Achaia:

2 May God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ bless you and give you peace.

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

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

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,

4 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.

who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

5 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.

For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

6 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 sufferings that we ourselves are enduring;

If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which accomplishes in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we experience.

7 and our hope for you remains unshaken. We know that, as you are sharing our sufferings, you will also share our consolation.

And our hope for you is sure, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you will share in our comfort.

8 We want you, friends, 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.

We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the hardships we encountered in the province of Asia. We were under a burden far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.

9 Indeed, we had the presentiment that we must die, so that we might rely, not on ourselves, but on God who raises the dead.

Indeed, we felt we were under the sentence of death, in order that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God, who raises the dead.

10 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.

He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. In Him we have placed our hope that He will yet again deliver us,

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

as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the favor shown us in answer to their prayers.

12 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.

And this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in relation to you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God—not in worldly wisdom, but in the grace of God.

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

For we do not write you anything that is beyond your ability to read and understand. And I hope that you will understand us completely,

14 And, indeed, you have already partly acknowledged it about us – that you have a right to be proud of us, as we will be proud of you, on the day of our Lord Jesus.

as you have already understood us in part, so that you may boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of our Lord Jesus.

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

Confident of this, I planned to visit you first, so that you might receive a double blessing.

16 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.

I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia, and to return to you from Macedonia, and then to have you help me on my way to Judea.

17 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”?

When I planned this, did I do it carelessly? Or do I make my plans by human standards, so as to say “Yes, yes” when I really mean “No, no”?

18 As God is true, the message that we brought you does not waver between “Yes” and “No”!

But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.”

19 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.”

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was proclaimed among you by me and Silvanus and Timothy, was not “Yes” and “No,” but in Him it has always been “Yes.”

20 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.

For all the promises of God are “Yes” in Christ. And so through Him, our “Amen” is spoken to the glory of God.

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

Now it is God who establishes both us and you in Christ. He anointed us,

22 also set his seal on us, and gave us his Spirit in our hearts as a pledge of future blessings.

placed His seal on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a pledge of what is to come.

23 But, as my life will answer for it, I call God to witness that it was to spare you that I deferred my visit to Corinth.

I call God as my witness that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth.

24 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.

Not that we lord it over your faith, but we are fellow workers with you for your joy, because it is by faith that you stand firm.