And verily, we who are in the tent, do sigh, being weighed down, while yet we are not wishing to unclothe ourselves, but to clothe ourselves over, - in order that, what is mortal, may be swallowed up, by life.

By faith, are we walking, not by sight; -

Not again, ourselves, do we commend unto you, but as though an occasion we were giving unto you - something to boast of, in our behalf; that ye may have something suited unto them who, in appearance, are boasting, and not in heart.

How that, God, was in Christ, reconciling, a world, unto himself, not reckoning, unto them, their offences, - and hath put, in us, the reconciling discourse.

Him who knew not sin, in our behalf, he made to be, sin, that we might become God's righteousness in him.

As co-workers, however, we also beseech, that, not in vain, the favour of God, ye welcome;

Giving, no single, occasion of stumbling, in anything, that the ministry be not blamed;

as unknown, and yet well-known, as dying, and lo! we live, as disciplined, and yet not put to death,

Ye are not straitened in us, but are straitened in your hearts' affections;

Be not getting diversely yoked with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship hath light with darkness?

Wherefore come ye forth out of their midst, and be separated, - saith the Lord, - and, one impure, do not touch; and, I, will give you welcome,

Unto condemnation, I am not saying this , for I have before said - In our hearts, are ye, to the end we may die together and live together.

Not, however, by his presence alone, but also by the encouragement wherewith he had been encouraged over you: recounting unto us your earnest desire, your lamentation, your zeal in my behalf. So that I the more rejoiced.

Because, if I even grieved you by the letter, I do not regret, - though I could even have regretted, - I see that that letter, if even for an hour, did cause you grief.

Now, am I rejoicing, - not that ye were grieved, but that ye were grieved unto repentance; for ye were grieved according to God, in order that, in nothing, should ye receive damage from us.

For, grief according to God, worketh, repentance unto salvation, not to be regretted; although, the grieving of the world, worketh, death.

Hence, if I even wrote unto you, it was not for the sake of him that did the wrong, naynot even for the sake of him that suffered the wrong; but for the sake of your earnestness, which was on our account, being made manifest unto you, before God:-

That, if in anything - unto him - in your behalf - I have boasted, I have not been put to shame; but, as, all things, in truth, we told you, so, even our boasting before Titus, turned out to be, truth.

And, not merely as we hoped, but, themselves, gave they, first, unto the Lord and unto us through God's will,

Not by way of injunction, do I speak, but through, others', earnestness, and, the genuineness of your own love, putting to the test.

And, a judgment, herein, do I give, - for, this, unto you, is profitable, - who, indeed, not only of the doing, but of the desiring, made for yourselves a beginning a year ago; -

For, if the forwardness is set forth, according to what one may have, he is well approved, not according to what one hath not.

For, not that unto others should be relief, and unto you distress do I speak , but, by equality, in the present season, your surplus for their deficiency, -

Even as it is written - He that gathered the much, had not more than enough, and, he that gathered the little, had not less,

Not only so, however, but he hath also been appointed by the assemblies, as a fellow-traveler with us in this favour, which is being ministered by us with a view to the Lord's glory and our earnest desire: -

For we provide things honourable, not only before the Lord, but also before men.

Nevertheless I have sent the brethren, that, our boast in your behalf, be not made void, in this respect, that, even as I was saying, ye may be prepared, -

Lest by any means, if there should come with me Macedonians, and find you unprepared, we, - not to say, ye, - should be put to shame in this confidence.

Necessary, therefore, I regarded it, to exhort the brethren that they would go forward unto you, and make up beforehand your previously-promised blessing. The same, to be ready - thus, as a blessing, and not as of constraint.

Each one, according as he hath purposed in his heart, not sorrowfully, nor of necessity, - for, a cheerful giver, God, loveth.

Because, the ministry of this public service, is not only towards filling up the deficiencies of the saints, but also superabounding, through the thanksgiving of many, unto God, -

I entreat, however, that, when present, I may not be bold with the assurance wherewith I think to be daring against some who account of us as though, according to flesh, we were walking, -

For, though, in flesh, we walk, not, according to flesh, do we war, -

For, the weapons of our warfare, are not fleshly, but mighty, by God, unto a pulling down of strongholds, -

Yea, if, somewhat more abundantly, I should boast concerning our authority - which the Lord hath given for building up and not for pulling you down, I shall not be put to shame, -

That I may not seem as though I would be terrifying you through means of my letters;

For we dare not class or compare ourselves with some who do, themselves, commend; but, they, among themselves, measuring, themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are without discernment!

We, however, not as to the things without measure, will boast ourselves, but, according to the measure of the limit which God apportioned unto us, as a measure - to reach as far as even you!

For, not as though we were not reaching unto you, are we over-stretching ourselves, for, as far as even you, were we beforehand in the glad-message of the Christ:

Not, as to the things without measure, boasting ourselves in other men's toils, but having, hope - your faith, growing - among you, to be enlarged, according to our limit for something beyond, -

Unto the regions beyond you, to carry the glad-message: not, within another man's limit, as to the things made ready, to boast ourselves.

For, not he that commendeth himself, he, is approved, but he whom, the Lord, doth commend.

For, if, indeed, he that cometh, is proclaiming, another Jesus, whom we have not proclaimed, or, a different Spirit, ye are receiving, which ye had not received, or a different glad-message, which ye have never welcomed, ye are, well, bearing.

For I reckon not to have come a whit behind the exceeding overmuch apostles;

And, even if uncultured in my discourse, certainly not in my knowledge, - but, in every way, having made it manifest, in all things, unto you.

And, being present with you, and having come short, I was not burdensome to anyone, - for, my deficiency, the brethren, coming from Macedonia, helped to make up; - and, in everything, without burden unto you, I kept, myself - and will keep!

Truth of Christ is in me, that, this boasting, shall not be silenced unto me, in the regions of Achaia.

Wherefore? Because I love you not? God, knoweth!

What I am saying, not according to the Lord, am I saying, but as in foolishness, - in this my boastful confidence!

Thrice, have I been beaten with rods, once, have I been stoned, thrice, have I been shipwrecked, a day and night, in the deep, have I spent;

Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is caused to stumble, and, I, am not burning?

The God and Father of our Lord Jesus, knoweth - He who is blessed unto the ages - that I am not speaking falsely:

To be boasting, is needful, - it is not, indeed, profitable, yet will I come to visions and revelations of the Lord: -

I know a man in Christ, who, fourteen years ago, whether in the body, I know not, or out of the body, I know not, God, knoweth, such a one as this, caught away, as far as the third heaven;

And I know such a man as this, whether in the body or apart from the body, I know not, - God, knoweth,

How that he was caught away into paradise, and heard unspeakable things, which it is not allowable for a man to utter:

On behalf of such a one as this, will I boast, but, on behalf of myself, will I not boast, save in my weaknesses; -

Although in fact, if I should wish to boast, I shall not be foolish, for, the truth, would I speak; but I forbear, lest anyone, unto me, should reckon above what he beholdeth me to be , or heareth from me, - even by the exceeding greatness of the revelations.

I have become foolish, - ye, compelled me: - I, in fact, ought, by you, to have been commended; for, not a whit, have I come behind the exceeding overmuch apostles, - even if I am nothing:

For what is there wherein ye were made inferior to the rest of the assemblies, - save that, I myself, would not allow myself to be a burden unto you? Forgive me this wrong!

Lo! this third time, I am holding myself, in readiness, to come unto you, and I will not allow myself to be a burden; for I seek not yours, but you; - for, the children, ought not to lay up, for the parents, but the parents for the children; -

But let it be! - I, myself, did not burden you, - Notwithstanding, being crafty, with guile, I caught you?

I exhorted Titus, and sent with him the brother, - Did, Titus, overreach you? Was it not, in the same spirit, we walked? Was it not, in the same steps?

For I fear - lest, by any means, when I come, not such as I wish, should I find you, and, I, should be found by you, such as ye do not wish; - lest, by any means, I should find strife, jealousy, outbursts of wrath, factions, railings, whisperings, puffed up pretensions, confusions; -

Lest, when I again come, my God should humble me in regard to you, - and I should grieve over many who had before sinned, and not repented of the impurity, and fornication, and wantonness which they had committed.

I have said beforehand, and do say beforehand, - as present the second time, although now absent, unto them who before sinned, and unto all the rest, - that, if I come again, I will not spare.

Since, a test, ye are seeking, of the speaking in me of Christ; - who, unto you, is not weak, but is powerful in you, -

Be trying, yourselves, whether ye are in the faith, be putting, yourselves, to the test! Or do ye not recognise yourselves, seeing that, Jesus Christ, is in you, - unless perhaps ye fail in the testing.

I hope, however, that ye shall come to know, that, we, fail not in the testing!

But we pray unto God, that ye may do nothing base, - not that, we, may appear, accepted, but that, ye, the honourable thing, may be doing, even though, we, should be, as it were, rejected;

For this cause, these things, while absent, am I writing, that I may not, when present, deal sharply - according to the authority which, the Lord, hath given me, for building up and not for pulling down.

Paul, an apostle, - not from men, nor through man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father who raised him from among the dead,

Which is not, another, only there are, some, that are troubling you, and wishing to change the glad-message of the Christ.

For am I, even now, persuading, men, or God? Or am I seeking to please, men? If I had been still pleasing, men, Christ's servant, had I not been!

For I make known unto you, brethren, as to the glad-message which was announced by me, that it is not after man;

to reveal his Son in me, that I might announce the glad-message regarding him among the nations, straightway, I conferred not with flesh and blood,

Now, as touching the things which I am writing to you, lo! before God, I am not guilty of falsehood: -

But, not even Titus, who was with me, though he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised; -

Unto whom, not even for an hour, gave we place by the required submission, - in order that, the truth of the glad-message, might still abide with you.

Moreover, from them who were reputed to be something, - whatsoever at one time, they were, maketh no difference to me, God accepteth not a man's person, - unto me, in fact, they who were of repute added nothing further;

But, when I saw that they were not walking with straightforwardness as regardeth the truth of the glad-message, I said unto Cephas, before all: If, thou, although, a Jew, like them of the nations, and not like the Jews, dost live, how dost thou compel, them of the nations, to live like Jews?

We, by nature Jews, and not sinners from among the nations,

Knowing, however, that a man is not declared righteous by works of law, nor at all save through faith in Christ Jesus; even we, on Christ Jesus, believed, that we might be declared righteous - by faith in Christ, and not by works of law; because, by works of law, shall no flesh be declared righteous.

I do not set aside the favour of God; for, if, through law, is righteousness, then, Christ, without cause, died.

Be taking note, therefore - that, they who are of faith, the same, are, sons, of Abraham;

For, as many as are of works of law, are, under a curse, - for it is written - Accursed, is everyone that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them.

And, the law, is not of faith, but - he that hath done them, shall live in them,

Now, unto Abraham, were spoken the promises - and unto his seed; - He saith not - and unto thy seeds, as of many, but, as of one - and unto thy seed, which is Christ:

And, this, I say - a covenant previously confirmed by God, the law which, after four hundred and thirty years, hath been brought into being, doth not annul, so as to do away with the promise.

Now, a mediator, is not a mediator of one, but, God, is, one.

But, at that time - not knowing God, ye were in servitude unto them who, by nature, are not Gods;

Become ye as, I, because, I also, was as, ye, - brethren, I entreat you. Not at all, have ye wronged me.

And, your trial, in my flesh, ye despised not, neither spat ye in disgust , but, as a messenger of God, ye welcomed me - as Christ Jesus.

They shew a zeal for you, not honourably, but wish, to shut you out, in order that ye may be zealous for, them.

Howbeit it is, honourable, to show zeal in what is honourable at all times, and not only when I am present with you; -

Tell me! ye who, under law, are wishing to be: The law, do ye not hear?

For it is written - Be gladdened, O barren one! that wast not giving birth, break forth and shout, thou that wast not in birth-pains, - because, more, are the children of the deserted one, than of her that had the husband.

Wherefore, brethren, we are not children of a serving woman, but of the free: -

With her freedom, Christ hath made you, free. Stand fast, therefore, and do not, again, with a yoke of servitude, be held fast!

Ye were running well: - who hath hindered you, that, by truth, ye are not to be persuaded?