Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Timothy the brother, to the congregation of God that is at Corinth, with all the sanctified who are in the whole of Achaia.

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

Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all encouragement,

who encourages us in all our affliction, in order for us to be able to encourage those in every affliction, through the encouragement of which we ourselves are encouraged by God.

But we ourselves have had the sentence of death in ourselves, so that we should not be trusting in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead.

For our pride is this (the testimony from our conscience), that we behave in the world in the simplicity and purity of God, not by fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, and especially toward you.

But God is faithful, because our word toward you became not, yes and no.

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ who was proclaimed among you by us (by me and Silvanus and Timothy) became not, yes and no, but in him has become, yes.

For as many as be promises of God, in him is the Yes, and in him the Truly, for glory to God through us.

Now he who establishes us with you in Christ, and who anointed us, is God.

But I call God for a witness upon my soul, that I did not yet come to Corinth, sparing you.

Now having come to Troas for the good-news of the Christ, and a door having been opened to me in Lord,

And thanks is to God who always causes us to triumph in the Christ, and who makes manifest the aroma of the knowledge of him in every place, through us.

Because we are a fragrance of Christ to God, in those being saved and in those perishing:

For we are not as other men, huckstering the word of God, but as from purity. But we speak in Christ as from God in the sight of God.

being seen that ye are a letter of Christ, administered by us, written not in ink, but in the Spirit of the living God, not in stony tablets, but in fleshly tablets, in hearts.

And we have such confidence toward God through Christ,

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

But we have renounced the covert things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor misrepresenting the word of God, but by the disclosure of the truth, commending ourselves to every conscience of men before God.

But even if our good-news is concealed, it is concealed in those who are perishing,

in whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, in order for the light of the good-news of the glory of the Christ (who is a likeness of God) not to shine forth to them.

Because it is God who said, Out of darkness light is to shine, who shone in our hearts for an enlightenment of the knowledge of the glory of God in the presence of Jesus Christ.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the excellence of the power may be of God and not from us,

For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace, which has multiplied because of the thankfulness of the many, may abound for the glory of God.

For we know that if the earthly house of our tent were destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made by hands, eternal in the heavens.

Now he who wrought us for this same thing is God, who also gave us the pledge of the Spirit.

For we must all appear before the judgment-seat of the Christ, so that each man may receive back about the things that he did through the body, whether good or bad.

Having seen therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men. But we have been manifested to God, and I hope also to have been manifested in your consciences.

For whether we are beside ourselves to God, or we are of normal mind, it is for you.

And all things are from God who reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ, and who gave to us the ministry of reconciliation.

How that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not imputing to them their trespasses, and having committed to us the word of reconciliation.

We are therefore, ambassadors on behalf of Christ, as though God were calling through us. We plead on behalf of Christ, be ye reconciled to God.

For the man who knew no sin was made sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

And working jointly, we urge you also not to receive the grace of God in vain

but in everything commending ourselves as helpers of God, in much perseverance, in afflictions, in necessities, in restrictions,

in word of truth, in power of God, through the weapons of righteousness of the right hand and of the left,

And what mutual agreement has a temple of God with idols? For ye are a temple of the living God, just as God said, I will dwell in them, and will walk among them. And I will be their God, and they will be a people to me.

Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in fear of God.

Nevertheless God, who encourages the lowly, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus.

Now I rejoice, not that ye were grieved, but that ye were grieved for repentance. For ye were grieved toward God, so that ye might suffer loss from us in nothing.

For sorrow toward God works repentance for salvation without regret, but the sorrow of the world works death.

For behold this same thing--your grieving toward God. How much eagerness it worked in you, even a defense, even indignation, even fear, even longing, even zeal, even vengeance! In everything ye demonstrated yourselves to be pure in

And so then although I wrote to you, it was not because of the man who did wrong, nor because of the man who was wronged, but in order to reveal to you your eagerness for us in the sight of God.

And, brothers, we declare to you the grace of God that has been given in the congregations of Macedonia,

And it was not as we expected, but first they gave themselves to the Lord and to us through the will of God,

But thanks to God who gives the same eagerness for you in the heart of Titus.

And we sent along with him the brother whose praise in the good-news is throughout all the congregations.

Each man as he purposes in his heart, not from regret or from necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver.

And God is able to abound all grace for you, so that always in everything having all sufficiency, ye may abound for every good work,

being enriched in everything for every generosity, which works gratitude to God through us.

Because the service of this ministry is not only supplying the needs of the sanctified, but also abounding through many thanksgivings to God

through the evidence of this service, glorifying God at the subjection of your confession toward the good-news of the Christ, and at the generosity of the participation, for them and for all,

and by their supplication about you, yearning for you because of the transcending grace of God in you.

And thanks to God for his indescribable gift.

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God for the demolition of strongholds,

casting down imaginations, and every high thing exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought captive into the obedience of the Christ,

But we will not boast in things immeasurable, but according to the measure of the standard that God apportioned to us, of a measure to reach even as far as you.

For it is not as not reaching for you. We overextend ourselves. For we even reached as far as you in the good-news of the Christ,

in order to preach the good-news beyond you, not to boast in another measure, in things prepared.

For I am jealous for you with a jealousy of God. For I betrothed you to one husband, a pure virgin to present to the Christ.

For indeed if a man who comes, preaches another Jesus whom we did not preach, or ye receive another spirit that ye did not receive, or another good-news that ye did not accept, ye well tolerated it.

Or did I commit a sin lowering myself so that ye might be lifted up, because I preached to you the good-news of God freely?

Why? Because I do not love you? God knows.

But what I do, I also will do, so that I may cut off the opportunity of those who desire an opportunity, that in what they boast, they might appear just as we also.

The God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, he who is blessed into the ages, knows that I do not lie.

I know a man in Christ, fourteen years ago (whether in body, I know not, or whether outside the body, I know not, God knows) such a man was caught up as far as the third heaven.

And I know such a man (whether in body, or whether outside the body, I know not, God knows)

Again, do ye think that we are making defense to you? In the sight of God we speak in Christ. But all things, beloved, are for your edification.

lest having come again my God will make me low toward you, and I will bewail many of those who have sinned previously, and who did not repent from the trash and fornication and licentiousness that they committed.

For even if he was crucified from weakness, yet he lives from the power of God. For we in him are also weak, but we will live with him from the power of God toward you.

Now I pray to God, to do you nothing harmful, not that we would appear test-passing, but that ye would do right, even like we might be test-failing.

Finally brothers, farewell. Be thoroughly prepared, be encouraged, think the same way, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, is with all of you. Truly.