PAUL, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, and Timothy my brother, to the church of God which is in Corinth, with all the saints that are in all Achaia:

who con soles us in all our afflictions, so that we are able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

For as the sufferings for the Christ abound in us, so also through Christ abounds our consolation.

And if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which salvation is effected by your patient endurance of the same sufferings that we also suffer; (and our hope in you is steadfast;) or if we are consoled, it is for your comfort and salvation;

because we know, that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you shall be partakers of the comfort.

For we do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning our affliction which came upon us in Asia, that we were exceedingly oppressed, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life.

who delivered us from so great a death, and does still deliver us: in whom we have confidence, that he will continue to deliver us,

if you also unite in prayer for our aid, that the favor bestowed on us, through the intercession of many persons, may cause thanks to be given by many for us.

For the ground of our rejoicing is this: the testimony of our conscience that we have lived in the world more abundantly, indeed, for you in sincerity and godly purity, not in carnal wisdom, but in the grace of God.

as some of you also acknowledge us, that we are the cause of your rejoicing, even as you, also, are of ours, in the day of the Lord Jesus.

But God is true; for our preaching to you was not yes and no:

for the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, by me and Sylvanus and Timothy, was not yes and no, but in him was yes.

For whatever promises of God there are, are in him yes, and in him amen, to the glory of God by us.

For he who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, is God,

who has also set his seal upon us, and given us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

But I call on God as a witness against my soul, that wishing to spare you, I did not go to Corinth;

for if I cause you to grieve, who is he that makes me glad, but he that is made sorry by me?

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

Sufficient for such a one is the punishment, which was inflicted by the greater number:

lest an advantage should be taken of us by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his devices.

Now, thanks be to God, who always causes us to triumph in the Christ, and sheds in every place, by us, the fragrance of the knowledge of himself.

to the one, we are the odor of death ending in death; to the other, the odor of life ending in life: and who is sufficient for these things?

For we do not, as the many, adulterate the word of God; but, as from sincerity, but, as from God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.

Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or do we need, as some do, letters of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?

you are well known to be a letter of Christ, written by us as his ministers, not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.

Now, confidence such as this we have, through the Christ, toward God;

not that we are able, of ourselves, to devise any thing, as from ourselves; but our ability is from God,

who has made us able ministers of the new covenant, not of letter, but. of spirit: for the letter kills, but the spirit makes alive.

For if that which was to come to an end was glorious, much more that which is to remain is glorious.

Since then we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech,

and do not as Moses did, who put a vail over his face, so that the sons of Israel could not steadily look to the end of that which was to come to an end.

But their minds were blinded: for till this day, in the reading of the old covenant, the same vail remains not taken away, which vail is removed in Christ.

But to this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart: