who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we might be able to comfort those who are in all tribulation, by the consolation with which we ourselves are comforted of God.

If we meet with trouble, it is for the sake of your consolation and salvation; and, if we find consolation, it is for the sake of the consolation that you will experience when you are called to endure the very sufferings that we ourselves are enduring;

Yes, we ourselves have had the answer of death in ourselves, so that our hope might not be in ourselves, but in God who is able to give life to the dead:

Ye also labouring together on our behalf, by your supplication, that, unto many persons, being due the gift of favour, unto us, through means of many, might thanks be given in our behalf.

And in this confidence I was minded to come unto you before, that ye might have a second benefit;

And by way of Corinth to go into Macedonia, and from there to come back again to you, so that you might send me on my way to Judaea.

So, when I made this decision, was I just vacillating [in uncertainty]? Or, do I make plans in a worldly way [i.e., just to suit my own fancy], so that my "yes" and "no" [do not really mean anything]?

But [as surely as] God is faithful and means what He says, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No” [at the same time].

For God's Son, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by us, Silvanus, Timothy, and me, did not become a "Yes" that might mean "No."

For he is the Yes to all the undertakings of God: and by him all the words of God are made certain and put into effect, to the glory of God through us.

But I made up my mind not to grieve you with another painful visit.

For if I make you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me?

And I wrote this same thing to you, so that when I came, I would not be filled with sorrow by those who ought to make me glad, for I trusted in you and felt confident that my joy would be shared by all of you.

For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you.

If any man hath caused sorrow, the same hath not made me sorry: but partly - lest I should grieve - you all.

so that on the contrary you should rather forgive and comfort him, otherwise such a one might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.

For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things.

And to whom ye forgive any thing, I also forgive it: for if I have forgiven any thing, I forgave it him, to whom I did forgive it, for your sakes, in the person of Christ; that we might not be foiled by Satan:

that we might not have Satan get an advantage against us, for we are not ignorant of his thoughts.

to the one part are we the savor of death unto death; and unto the other part are we the savor of life unto life. And who is mete unto these things?

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

Not as if we were able by ourselves to do anything for which we might take the credit; but our power comes from God;

Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

and if the ministration of the death, in letters, engraved in stones, came in glory, so that the sons of Israel were not able to look stedfastly to the face of Moses, because of the glory of his face -- which was being made useless,

For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.

for if that which is being made useless is through glory, much more that which is remaining is in glory.

and are not as Moses, who was putting a vail upon his own face, for the sons of Israel not stedfastly to look to the end of that which is being made useless,

but their minds were hardened, for unto this day the same vail at the reading of the Old Covenant doth remain unwithdrawn -- which in Christ is being made useless --

For this reason, because we have been made servants of this new order, through the mercy given to us, we are strong:

Because the god of this world has made blind the minds of those who have not faith, so that the light of the good news of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, might not be shining on them.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellent power of it might appear to be of God, and not of us.

We are cruelly attacked, but not without hope; we are made low, but we are not without help;

Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

Because we are certain that he who made the Lord Jesus come back from the dead, will do the same for us, and will give us a place in his glory with you.

For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

For which cause we do not give way to weariness; but though our outer man is getting feebler, our inner man is made new day by day.

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

For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

Now he who made us for this very thing is God, who also gave to us the down payment of the Spirit.

For we must all be made manifest before the judgment-seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

For not again do we recommend ourselves to you, but giving you occasion for boasting over us, that ye might have for them boasting in face, and not in heart.

If we are out of our mind [just unstable fanatics as some critics say], it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for your benefit.

and He died for all, so that all those who live would no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and was raised for their sake.

But all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ [making us acceptable to Him] and gave us the ministry of reconciliation [so that by our example we might bring others to Him],

For God was in Christ, and made agreement between the world and himself, and imputed not their sins unto them: and hath committed to us the preaching of the atonement.

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Invested then with such a commission, I beseech you let not the offers of divine favour be made to you in vain.

O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you. Our heart is made large:

Receive us: we have injured no one, we have ruined no one, we have made gain of no one.

For even when we came to Macedonia we had no rest for our bodies. But we met with trouble on every hand. [There were] conflicts on the outside and fears within us.

and not only by his arrival but also by the comfort he had received from you. He told us about your longing for me, your sorrow, and your eagerness to take my side, and this made me even happier.

For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season.

Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.

For behold, this selfsame thing, that ye were made sorry after a godly sort, what earnest care it wrought in you, yea what clearing of yourselves, yea what indignation, yea what fear, yea what longing, yea what zeal, yea what avenging! In everything ye approved yourselves to be pure in the matter.

Wherefore, though I wrote unto you, I did it not for his cause that had done the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear unto you.

For this reason we have been comforted.

In addition to our comfort, we rejoiced even more over the joy Titus had, because his spirit was refreshed by all of you.

For if I have boasted any thing to him of you, I am not ashamed; but as we spake all things to you in truth, even so our boasting, which I made before Titus, is found a truth.

His affection is greater than ever as he remembers the obedience [to his guidance] that all of you exhibited, and how you received him with the greatest respect.

I must acquaint you, brethren, with the contribution which the churches of Macedonia have religiously made,

Seriously requesting us that they might have a part in this grace of being servants to the needs of the saints:

and in this they out-did my expectation; such was the divine pleasure, they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then made me an offer to go themselves to Corinth.

Insomuch that we exhorted Titus, that as he made a beginning before, so he would also complete in you this grace also.

For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

And, a judgment, herein, do I give, - for, this, unto you, is profitable, - who, indeed, not only of the doing, but of the desiring, made for yourselves a beginning a year ago; -

at this present time your surplus [over necessities] is going to supply their need, so that [at some other time] their surplus may be given to supply your need, that there may be equality;

And so that no man might be able to say anything against us in the business of this giving which has been put into our hands:

And we have sent with them our brother, whose ready spirit has been made clear to us at times and in ways without number, but it is now all the more so because of the certain faith which he has in you.

Now it is unnecessary for me to write to you about the offering [that is to be made] for the saints [in Jerusalem];

For I have before made clear to those of Macedonia my pride in your ready mind, saying to them that Achaia has been ready for a year back; and a great number have been moved to do the same by your example.

But I have 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:

For fear that, if any from Macedonia come with me, and you are not ready, we (not to say, you) might be put to shame in this thing.

Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness.

Let each one give [thoughtfully and with purpose] just as he has decided in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver [and delights in the one whose heart is in his gift].

being made rich in every [way] for all generosity, which is producing through us thanksgiving to God,

For the office of this ministration, not only supplieth the need of the saints: but also is abundant herein, that for this laudable ministering, thanks might be given to God of many,

I beg of you that when I do come I may not have to speak out and be peremptory; but my mind is made up to tackle certain people who have made up their minds that I move on the low level of the flesh.

for the weapons of our warfare are not human weapons, but are made powerful by God for tearing down strongholds. We tear down arguments

and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience shall be made full.

For though I might take pride in our authority (which the Lord gave for building you up, and not for your destruction), it will not be a cause of shame to me:

so that I might not seem to terrify you by letters.

It is no strain for me to do this, as it might be for people who had never got so far, for I was the first to come all the way to you with the good news of the Christ.

To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man's line of things made ready to our hand.

For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy: for I espoused you to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

But I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve in his craftiness, so your minds might be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among you in all things.

Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?

I robbed other churches, taking wages of them that I might minister unto you;

And when I was with you and ran short [financially], I did not burden any of you; for what I needed was fully supplied by the brothers (Silas and Timothy) who came from Macedonia (the church at Philippi). So I kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so.

Nevertheless what I do, that will I do to cut away occasion from them which desire occasion, that they might be found like unto us in that wherein they rejoice:

Again I say, lest any one should think me to be mad; and if not so indeed, as mad do ye receive me that I might also boast myself some little.

What I am now saying, I do not say by the Lord's command, but as a fool in his folly might, in this reckless boasting.

For ye bear with the mad willingly, being wise.

Are they the ministers of Christ? (I speak as a mad man,) I am more; in labors more abundantly, in stripes more abundantly, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often;

Thrice was I scourged with rods, once was I stoned, thrice suffered I shipwreck, I have made a night and day in the deep;

Who is weak, and I do not feel [his] weakness? Who is made to sin, and I am not on fire [with sorrow and concern]?

If I must boast, I will boast of the things that reveal my weakness [the things by which I am made weak in the eyes of my opponents].

I might glory in being the man; but I will not glory in any thing relating to myself, unless it be my sufferings.