1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and brother Timothy. Unto the congregation of God, which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia:
2 Grace be with you and peace from God our father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be God the father of our Lord Jesus the Christ, father of mercy, and the God of all comfort,
4 which comforteth us in all our tribulation, insomuch that we are able to comfort them which are troubled, in whatsoever tribulation it be, with the same comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
5 For as the afflictions of Christ are plenteous in us: even so is our consolation plenteous by Christ.
6 Whether we be troubled for your consolation and salvation, which salvation showeth her power in that ye suffer the same afflictions which we also suffer; or whether we be comforted for your consolation and salvation:
7 yet our hope is steadfast for you inasmuch as we know how, that as ye have your part in afflictions, so shall ye be partakers of consolation.
8 Brethren, I would not have you ignorant of our trouble, which happened unto us in Asia. For we were grieved out of measure passing strength, so greatly that we despaired even of life.
9 Also we received an answer of death in ourselves, and that was done because we should not put our trust in ourselves, but in God, which raiseth the dead to life again -
10 and which delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver - on whom we trust, that yet hereafter he will deliver us,
11 by the help of your prayer for us: That by the means of many occasions, thanks may be given of many on our behalf, for the grace given unto us.
12 Our rejoicing is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in singleness of heart and with godly pureness - and not in fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God - we have had our conversation in the world, and most of all to you-wards.
13 We write no other things unto you, than that ye read and also know. Yea, and I trust ye shall find us unto the end
14 even as ye have found us partly, for we are your rejoicing, even as ye are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus.
15 And in this confidence was I minded the other time to have come unto you, that ye might have had yet one pleasure more,
16 and to have passed by you into Macedonia, and to have come again out of Macedonia unto you, and to have been led forth to Jewry ward of you.
17 When I thus wise was minded: Did I use lightness? Or think I carnally those things which I think, that with me should be "yea, yea," and "nay, nay?"
18 God is faithful: For our preaching unto you, was not "yea" and "nay."
19 For God's son Jesus Christ which was preached among you by us - that is to say, by me and Silvanus and Timothy - was not "yea" and "nay": but in him it was "Yea."
20 For all the promises of God, in him are "Yea": and are in him "Amen," unto the laud of God through us.
21 For it is God which establisheth us and you in Christ, and hath anointed us,
22 which hath also sealed us, and hath given the earnest of the spirit into our hearts.