who delivered us from so great [a risk] of death, and will deliver [us], in whom we have put our hope that he will also deliver [us] again,

just as you have also understood us in part, that we are your reason for boasting, just as you [are] also ours in the day of our Lord Jesus.

And with this confidence, I was wanting to come to you previously, in order that you may have a second proof of my goodwill,

For I have decided this for myself, not to come to you again in sorrow.

And I wrote this very [thing] in order that [when I] came, I would not experience sorrow from those who ought to have made me glad, [because I] have confidence about you all, that my joy {belongs to all of you}.

For out of great distress and anguish of heart I wrote to you through many tears, not so that you may be caused to be sad, but so that you may know the love that I have especially for you.

Now to whomever you forgive anything, I also [do]; for indeed, whatever I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, [it is] {for your sake} in the presence of Christ,

Therefore, [because we] have such a hope, we use much boldness,

Because of this, [since we] have this ministry, just as we have been shown mercy, we do not lose heart,

but we have renounced shameful hidden things, not behaving with craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but with the open proclamation of the truth commending ourselves to every person's conscience before God.

But we have this treasure in earthenware jars, in order that the extraordinary degree of the power may be from God and not from us.

But [because we] have the same spirit of faith in accordance with [what is] written, "I believed, therefore I spoke," we also believe, therefore we also speak,

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

if indeed, even [after we] have taken [it] off, we will not be found naked.

Therefore indeed we have as our ambition, whether at home [in the body] or absent [from the body], to be acceptable to him.

We are not commending ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to boast about us, in order that you may have [an answer] for those who boast in appearance and not in heart.

For the love of Christ controls us, [because we] have concluded this: that one died for all; as a result all died.

So then, from now on we know no one {from a human point of view}, if indeed we have known Christ {from a human point of view}, but now we know [him this way] no longer.

Therefore if anyone [is] in Christ, [he is] a new creation; the old [things] have passed away; behold, new [things] have come.

[We are] giving no one an occasion for taking offense in anything, in order that our ministry will not have fault found [with it],

{We have spoken freely and openly} to you, Corinthians; our heart is open wide.

Do not become unevenly yoked with unbelievers, for what participation [is there between] righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship [does] light [have] with darkness?

And what agreement [does] Christ [have] with Beliar? Or what share [does] a believer [have] with an unbeliever?

And what agreement [does the] temple of God [have] with idols? For we are the temple of the living God, just as God said, "I will live in them and will walk about [among them], and I will be their God and they will be my people."

Therefore [since we] have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of body and spirit, accomplishing holiness in the fear of God.

{Make room for us in your hearts}. We have wronged no one, we have ruined no one, we have defrauded no one.

I do not say [this] {to condemn you}, because I have already said that you are in our hearts, so that we die together and we live together.

For behold how much diligence this very [thing], being grieved according to [the will of] God, has brought about in you: what defense [of yourselves], what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! In everything you have demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in this matter.

Because of this we have been encouraged, and in addition to our encouragement, we rejoiced much more over the joy of Titus, because his spirit had been refreshed by all of you.

For if I have boasted anything to him about you, I have not been put to shame, but as I have spoken everything to you in truth, thus also our boasting to Titus {has proven to be true}.

that with a great ordeal of affliction, the abundance of their joy and the extreme depth of their poverty have overflowed to the wealth of their generosity.

So now also complete the doing [of it], in order that just as [you have] the eagerness to want [to do it], thus also [you may] complete [it] from [what you] have.

For if the eagerness is present {according to what one has}, [it is] acceptable not {according to what one does not have}.

just as it is written, "The [one] who [gathered] much did not have too much, and the [one] who [gathered] little did not have too little."

And we have sent at the same time with him the brother whose praise in the gospel [has become known] throughout all the churches.

And we are sending with them our brother whom we have tested many times in many [things] that he is diligent, but now much more diligent [because of his] great confidence in you.

And God is able to cause all grace to abound to you, so that in everything at all times, [because you] have enough of everything, you may overflow in every good work.

For we are not overextending ourselves, as [if we] had not reached you, because we have reached even as far as you with the gospel of Christ,

For if the one who comes proclaims another Jesus whom we have not proclaimed, or you receive a different spirit which you did not receive, or a different gospel which you did not accept, you put up with [it] well [enough]!

But even if [I am] unskilled in speech, yet [I am] not in knowledge; certainly in everything [we] have made this clear to you in every [way].

I say [this] to [my] shame, namely, that we have been weak. But in whatever anyone dares to [boast]--I am speaking in foolishness--I also dare to [boast].

Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. Three times I was shipwrecked. A day and a night I have spent in the deep water.

[I have been] on journeys many times, in dangers from rivers, in dangers from robbers, in dangers from [my own] people, in dangers from the Gentiles, in dangers in the city, in dangers in the wilderness, in dangers at sea, in dangers because of false brothers,

I have become a fool! You compelled me, for I ought to have been commended by you, for [I am] in no way inferior to the preeminent apostles, even if I am nothing.

Indeed, the signs of an apostle have been done among you with all patient endurance, both signs and wonders and deeds of power.

But let [it] be. I have not been a burden to you, but [because I] was crafty, I took you by cunning.

I have not taken advantage of you {through anyone whom I sent to you}, [have I]?

Have you been thinking all this time that we are defending ourselves to you? We are speaking in Christ before God, and all [these things], dear friends, [are] for your edification.

[I am afraid] lest [when I] come again my God will humiliate me {in your presence}, and I will grieve over many of those who sinned previously and have not repented because of their impurity and sexual immorality and licentiousness that they have practiced.

I have already said when was present the second time, and [although I] am absent now also say in advance to those who sinned previously and to all the rest, that if I come again I will not spare [anyone],

Because of this, I am writing these [things] [although I] am absent, in order that [when I] am present I may not have to act severely according to the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.