For we do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning our tribulation which befell us in Asia; that we were exceedingly weighed down beyond our power, insomuch that we despaired even of life:

yea, we ourselves had in ourselves the sentence of death, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God, Who raiseth the dead;

For our glorying is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and sincerity of God, not in fleshly wisdom, but in the grace of God, we behaved ourselves in the world, and more abundantly toward you.

But, as God is faithful, our word to you is not "Yea" and "Nay."

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, Who was preached among you through us??hrough me and Sylvanus and Timothy??as not "Yea" and "Nay," "Nay," but in Him is "Yea."

But I invoke God as a witness upon my soul, that, as sparing you, I came not yet to Corinth.

Not that we have lordship over your faith, but are helpers of your joy; for by faith ye have been standing.

But I determined this for myself, that I would not come to you again in sorrow.

And I wrote this very thing, that I might not, when I came, have sorrow from those of whom I ought to have joy; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all.

For out of much tribulation and anguish of heart I wrote to you, through many tears; not that ye should be made sorry, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly toward you.

But, if any one has caused sorrow, he has caused sorrow, not to me, but in part (that I press not too heavily) to you all.

that we might not be over-reached by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his devices.

I have had no relief in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother; but, bidding them adieu, I went forth into Macedonia.

For we are not as the many, making merchandise of the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God, we speak in Christ.

Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? Or need we, as do some, commendatory letters to you, or from you?

being made manifest that ye are Christ's epistle ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tablets of stone, but in tablets that are hearts of flesh.

not that we are sufficient of ourselves to reckon anything as from ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God;

Who also qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit makes alive.

But, if the ministration of death, engraven in letters on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look steadily upon the face of Moses on account of the glory of his face, which glory was passing away;

how shall not rather the ministration of the Spirit be with glory?

For even that which has been made glorious has not been made glorious in this respect, on account of the surpassing glory;

and not as Moses, who put a veil over his face, that the sons of Israel might not look steadily to the end of that which was passing away.

Therefore, having this ministry, even as we obtained mercy, we faint not;

but we renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, not handling the word of God deceitfully; but, by the manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

in whom the god of this world blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, Who is the image of God, should not shine upon them.

For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord; and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake;

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the exceeding greatness may be of God, and not from ourselves;

being pressed on every side, yet not cooped up; perplexed, yet not despairing;

pursued, yet not abandoned; smitten down, yet not destroyed;

Wherefore, we faint not; but even if our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is being renewed day by day.

while we look not at the things that are seen, but at the things that are not seen; for the things that are seen are temporal, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

For we know that, if the earthly house of our tabernacle be dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens.

if, indeed, being also clothed, we will not be found naked.

For, indeed, we who are in the tabernacle groan, being weighed down; not that we wish to be unclothed, but be clothed upon, that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

(for we walk by faith and not by sight);

We are not again commending ourselves to you, but giving you occasion of glorying on our behalf, that ye may have something suited to those who glory in appearance, and not in heart.

how that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not reckoning to them their trespasses, and having put in us the word of reconciliation.

And, working together with Him, we also entreat you that ye receive not the grace of God in vain

giving no occasion of stumbling in anything, that our ministry be not blamed;

as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;

Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own affections.

Become not unequally yoked with unbelievers; for what fellowship have righteousness and lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?

I say it not with the view to your condemnation; for I have said before that ye are in our hearts to die together and to live together.

and not by his coming only, but also by the consolation with which he was consoled over you; rehearsing to us your earnest desire, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced the more:

because, even if I did make you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it, though I did regret it; for I see that that letter made you sorry, though but for a season.

Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye were made sorry unto repentance; for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that in nothing ye might receive damage from us.

For godly sorrow works repentance unto salvation, not to be repented of; but the sorrow of the world works death.

So, although I wrote to you, it was not on account of him who did the wrong, nor of him who suffered wrong, but that your earnest care on our behalf might be manifested to you in the sight of God.

For, if in anything I have gloried to him on your behalf, I was not made ashamed; but, as we spake all things to you in truth, so also our glorying before Titus was found to be truth.

and they did this not as we hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and to us through the will of God;

I am not speaking by way of command; but as proving, through the diligence of others, the sincerity of your love.

And I give my judgment in this; for this is profitable for you, who, indeed, began before others, a year ago, not only to do, but also to will.

for, if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he has not.

For it is not that there may be relief to others, but distress to you;

and not that only, but who was also appointed by the assemblies, as our fellow-traveler with this gift which is ministered by us to the glory of the Lord, and our zeal;

for we provide things honorable, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.

But I sent the brethren, that our glorying on your behalf may not be made void in this respect; that even as I said, ye may be prepared;

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

I thought it necessary, therefore, to exhort the brethren, that they should go before to you, and make up beforehand your previously promised bounty, that this may be ready as a matter of bounty and not as of covetousness.

Let each one do as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loveth a cheerful giver.

Because the ministry of this service not only fully supplies the deficiencies of the saints, but abounds also through many thanksgivings to God;

but I pray that, when present, I may not show courage with the confidence with which I purpose to be bold against some who reckon us as walking according to the flesh.

For, though walking in flesh, we are not warring according to the flesh,

(for the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but mighty through God for the casting down of strongholds);

For, even if I glory somewhat more abundantly concerning our authority??hich the Lord gave for building you up, and not for tearing you down?? shall not be put to shame;

that I may not seem as if I would terrify you with letters;

For we are not bold to judge ourselves among, or to compare ourselves with, some of those who commend themselves; but they measuring themselves among themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are without understanding.

But we will not glory beyond our measure, but according to the measure of the limit which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even to you.

For we stretch not ourselves overmuch, as if not reaching to you; for we came even as far as to you in the Gospel of Christ;

not glorying beyond our measure in other men's labors; but, having hope that, as your faith increases, we shall be enlarged among you according to our limit to further abundance,

so as to proclaim the Gospel in the regions beyond you, not to glory in another's limit in the things made ready to our hand.

for not he that commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.

For, if he that comes preaches another Jesus, Whom we did not preach; or, if ye receive a different spirit, which ye did not receive, or a different Gospel, which ye did not accept; well do ye bear with him.

And, though I be rude in speech, yet am I not rude in knowledge; but in every way having manifested it toward you in all things.

As the truth of Christ is in me, this glorying shall not be stopped in regard to me in the regions of Achaia.

Wherefore? because I do not love you? God knoweth!

What I am speaking I speak not according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting.

thrice I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; thrice I suffered shipwreck; a night and a day I have spent in the deep;

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

The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is blessed forevermore, knoweth that I lie not.

It is needful for me to glory, though, indeed, not profitable; but I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

I know a man in Christ, fourteen years ago (whether in the body I know not, or whether out of the body I know not, God knoweth), such a one caught up even to the Third Heaven.

And I know such a man (whether in the body, or apart from the body, I know not, God knoweth),

that he was caught up into Paradise, and heard unutterable sayings, which it is not lawful for a man to speak.

On behalf of such a one I will glory; but on my own behalf I will not glory, except in my weaknesses.

For, if I should desire to glory, I would not be foolish, for I shall be speaking truth; but I forbear, lest some one should think, in regard to me, above what he sees me to be, or hears from me.

And, that I might not be exalted overmuch by the exceeding greatness of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, that I might not be exalted overmuch.

For what is there in which ye were made inferior to the rest of the assemblies, except that I myself was not burdensome to you? forgive me this wrong!

Behold, this third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be burdensome to you; 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 be it so, I did not burden you; but, being crafty, I caught you with guile.

I entreated Titus, and sent with him the brother. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not walk in the same spirit? did we not walk in the same steps?

For I fear, lest by any means, when I come, I should find you not such as I desire, and that I, too, should be found by you such as ye do not desire; lest, by any means, there should be strife, jealousy, wraths, factions, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults;

lest, when I come again, my God should humble me before you, and I should mourn for many of those who have heretofore sinned, and repented not of the uncleanness, and fornication and lasciviousness which they practiced.

I have said beforehand, and I do say beforehand, as if present at the second time, and, being now absent, I write to those who heretofore have sinned, and to all the rest; that, if I come again, I will not spare;

since ye seek a proof of Christ's speaking in me, Who toward you is not weak, but is powerful in you;

Try yourselves, whether ye are in the faith; prove yourselves. Or know ye not as to yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you, unless ye be rejected?

But I hope that ye shall know, that we are not rejected.

Now we pray to God that ye do no evil; not that we may appear approved, but that ye may do what is honorable, though we be rejected.

For this cause, I write these things while absent; that I may not, when present, deal sharply according to the authority which the Lord gave me for building up, and not casting down.