2 Corinthians 5

1 We know that [these bodies] we live in [here in this world are like] [MET] tents. [They are like temporary living/dwelling places]. [So we should not be concerned about what happens to our bodies]. We know that if we are killed {if [someone] kills us}, God will give us [permanent living places. Those permanent living places] [MET] will not be houses that people have made. They [will be new bodies in which we will live forever] in heaven. (aiōnios g166)

And we witen, that if oure ertheli hous of this dwellynge be dissoluyd, that we han a bildyng of God, an hous not maad bi hondis, euerlastynge in heuenes. (aiōnios g166)

2 [While we are here on earth, we suffer]. We often groan because we desire [to go] to heaven [where God] will give us our new [bodies] [MET].

For whi in this thing we mornen, coueitynge to be clothid aboue with oure dwellyng, which is of heuene; if netheles we ben foundun clothid,

3 When [God gives us(inc) our new bodies] [MET], our [spirits will have] [LIT, MET] bodies to live in [that will last forever].

and not nakid.

4 [It is true that] while we are still living in these bodies [MET] [that do not last forever], we often groan [DOU] [because we desire to be free from them]. We are not longing to be without a body. Instead, [we groan because] we desire to receive our new bodies [MET] in heaven. We long for this to happen so that these bodies that are going to die some day will suddenly be changed [into bodies] that will live [forever].

For whi and we that ben in this tabernacle, sorewen with ynne, and ben heuyed, for that we wolen not be spuylid, but be clothid aboue; that the ilke thing that is deedli, be sopun vp of lijf.

5 It is God himself who has prepared us to [receive] these [new bodies]. He is also the one who has guaranteed/assured us [(inc)] that this will happen. He has guaranteed it by sending his Spirit [to live inside us now].

But who is it that makith vs in to this same thing? God, that yaf to vs the ernes of the spirit.

6 So, [because God’s Spirit lives in us], we are always confident [that God will give us new bodies]. We know that as long as we have bodies here on [earth], we are not yet [living together] with the Lord [Jesus in heaven].

Therfor we ben hardi algatis, and witen that the while we ben in this bodi, we goen in pilgrymage fro the Lord;

7 While we [(exc)] live [here, we] do not have our [new bodies, but we are] trusting [that God will give them to us].

for we walken bi feith, and not bi cleer siyt.

8 [As I said], we [(exc)] are confident [that he will give us new bodies]. We [(exc)] would much prefer to leave these bodies [which we have now], and be with the Lord [Jesus in our] home in [heaven].

But we ben hardi, and han good wille, more to be in pilgrymage fro the bodi, and to be present to God.

9 Because of all that, we always want to please [Jesus in everything that we do]. Whether we [(exc)] are [still living] here [in these] bodies or whether we have [left] them and are living in our home [in heaven], we want to please him.

And therfor we stryuen, whether absent, whether present, to plese hym.

10 [And we need to try hard to do that] because each one of us [believers] must stand before Christ [to be] judged [by him] {[when he will] judge [his people]}. [At that time] he will [reward each one of] us according to what we have done [while we lived in this world] in these bodies. [He will reward us according to] whether we have done good things or whether we have done evil things.

For it bihoueth vs alle to be schewid bifor the trone of Crist, that euery man telle the propre thingis of the bodi, as he hath don, ethir good, ether yuel.

11 It makes me fearful [to think that some day I will stand before the Lord for him to judge me]. So I [do everything that I can to] convince people [that they should believe] (OR, [that I teach] sincerely) [God’s message]. God knows very well [how I conduct my life and what I teach], and I really believe that you know it, too.

Therfor we witynge the drede of the Lord, councelen men, for to God we ben opyn; and Y hope, that we ben opyn also in youre consciencis.

12 Once again [I say, as I write this], I am not just [trying to] make you think well/highly of me, [as some people will probably say that I am]. Instead, I am [telling you in this letter why you have] good reason [to tell those who criticize me] that you think highly of me. [I am telling you this] so that you will know what to say to those [teachers of false doctrine among you]. They are proud [of what they have done], instead of [making sure that] they [are right with God and being pleased with that].

We comenden not vs silf eftsoone to you, but we yyuen to you occasioun to haue glorie for vs, that ye haue to hem that glorien in the face, and not in the herte.

13 [Some of them say that after God has enabled me to see visions], I [talk like] a crazy person. If [that is so, I want you to realize that I talk that way in order to please] God. On the other hand, if [you think that] I [speak and act] wisely, [that is good. I want you to know that I do] speak and act wisely in order to [help] you.

For ethir we bi mynde passen to God, ether we ben sobre to you.

14 [I speak and act the way I do] because the love that Christ [has for people] influences me [in everything that I say and do]. When Christ died, [he suffered the punishment] for [the sins of] all people. So, we should all [think of ourselves as having] died with him, [being as unresponsive to sinful desires as] [MET] a corpse is.

For the charite of Crist dryueth vs; gessynge this thing, that if oon died for alle, thanne alle weren deed.

15 When [Christ] died for the everyone, he died in order that [we believers who are alive now] should not conduct our lives in a way that will just [please ourselves]. Instead, [we should conduct our lives in a way that will please] Christ, [because] he is the one who died for us and was brought back to life {whom [God] raised} again.

And Crist diede for alle, that thei that lyuen, lyue not now to hem silf, but to hym that diede for hem, and roos ayen.

16 So, [because I realize how much Christ loves everyone], I no longer think about people in the way that those who do not believe [in Christ] think about [them]. Before I [was a believer], I thought about Christ in the way that other non-believers did. But I do not think of him that way any more.

Therfor we fro this tyme knowen no man aftir the fleische; thouy we knowun Crist aftir the fleisch, but nowe we knowun not.

17 The fact is that God makes every one [of us] who [trusts] in Christ to be completely different [than we were before]. Our old [way of conducting our lives] is gone. We now have a [completely] new way of [conducting our lives].

Therfor if ony newe creature is in Crist, the elde thingis ben passid.

18 This [complete change in our lives] is all something that God [does]. It is God who made it possible for us to have a peaceful relationship with him. [He was able to do that] because of what Christ [did for us]. Now God [has sent] me, and those [who work] with me, to tell [people that they] can have a peaceful relationship with him.

And lo! alle thingis ben of God, which recounselide vs to hym bi Crist, and yaf to vs the seruyce of recounselyng.

19 That is, [he sent us(exc) to tell them that] when Christ [died], God was [making it possible for everyone] [MTY] in the world to have a peaceful relationship with him. He no longer keeps a record of the sinful things that [we believers] have done. The message that [God] has given to us [to tell people is how we can have a] peaceful relationship with him.

And God was in Crist, recounselynge to hym the world, not rettynge to hem her giltes, and puttide in vs the word of recounselyng.

20 So, it is I and my companions who are Christ’s representatives [in this world. When we tell people the message about Christ], it is God himself who is pleading with them by means of what we [say]. So, as true representatives of Christ, we plead with you: [Believe God’s true message about Christ in order that you may] be reconciled to {have a peaceful relationship with} him.

Therfor we vsen message for Crist, as if God monestith bi vs; we bisechen for Crist, be ye recounselid to God.

21 [You must believe that even though] Jesus never sinned, God [punished him for all the] sinful things [that people do, just] as [if Jesus had done those sinful things himself]. And because of our close relationship with Christ, God has erased the record of our sins/declared us no longer guilty for our sins.

God the fadir made hym synne for vs, which knewe not synne, that we schulden be maad riytwisnesse of God in hym.