who encourages us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to encourage those who are in any tribulation whatever, through the encouragement with which we ourselves are encouraged of God.

ye also labouring together by supplication for us that the gift towards us, through means of many persons, may be the subject of the thanksgiving of many for us.

Having therefore this purpose, did I then use lightness? Or what I purpose, do I purpose according to flesh, that there should be with me yea yea, and nay nay?

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, he who has been preached by us among you (by me and Silvanus and Timotheus), did not become yea and nay, but yea is in him.

But I call God to witness upon my soul that to spare you I have not yet come to Corinth.

For if I grieve you, who also is it that gladdens me, if not he that is grieved through me?

And I have written this very letter to you, that coming I may not have grief from those from whom I ought to have joy; trusting in you all that my joy is that of you all.

For out of much tribulation and distress of heart I wrote to you, with many tears; not that ye may be grieved, but that ye may know the love which I have very abundantly towards you.

But if any one has grieved, he has grieved, not me, but in part (that I may not overcharge you) all of you.

Now when I came to Troas for the publication of the glad tidings of the Christ, a door also being opened to me in the Lord,

I had no rest in my spirit at not finding Titus my brother; but bidding them adieu, I came away to Macedonia.

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

always bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our body;

for we who live are always delivered unto death on account of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh;

For all things are for your sakes, that the grace abounding through the many may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

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

For we must all be manifested before the judgment-seat of the Christ, that each may receive the things done in the body, according to those he has done, whether it be good or evil.

For we do not again commend ourselves to you, but we are giving to you occasion of boast in our behalf, that ye may have such with those boasting in countenance, and not in heart.

and what agreement of God's temple with idols? for ye are the living God's temple; according as God has said, I will dwell among them, and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be to me a people.

and I will be to you for a Father, and ye shall be to me for sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Great is my boldness towards you, great my exulting in respect of you; I am filled with encouragement; I overabound in joy under all our affliction.

and not by his coming only, but also through the encouragement with which he was encouraged as to you; relating to us your ardent desire, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I the more rejoiced.

but even as ye abound in every way, in faith, and word, and knowledge, and all diligence, and in love from you to us, that ye may abound in this grace also.

And I give my opinion in this, for this is profitable for you who began before, not only to do, but also to be willing, a year ago.

For if the readiness be there, a man is accepted according to what he may have, not according to what he has not.

For it is not in order that there may be ease for others, and for you distress,

but on the principle of equality; in the present time your abundance for their lack, that their abundance may be for your lack, so that there should be equality.

Whether as regards Titus, he is my companion and fellow-labourer in your behalf; or our brethren, they are deputed messengers of assemblies, Christ's glory.

For concerning the ministration which is for the saints, it is superfluous my writing to you.

But I have sent the brethren, in order that our boasting about you may not be made void in this respect, in order that, as I have said, ye may be prepared;

lest haply, if Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we, that we say not ye, may be put to shame in this confidence.

I thought it necessary therefore to beg the brethren that they would come to you, and complete beforehand your fore-announced blessing, that this may be ready thus as blessing, and not as got out of you.

But God is able to make every gracious gift abound towards you, that, having in every way always all-sufficiency, ye may abound to every good work:

but I beseech that present I may not be bold with the confidence with which I think to be daring towards some who think of us as walking according to flesh.

that I may not seem as if I was frightening you by letters:

Would that ye would bear with me in a little folly; but indeed bear with me.

The truth of Christ is in me that this boasting shall not be stopped as to me in the regions of Achaia.

But what I do, I will also do, that I may cut off the opportunity of those wishing for an opportunity, that wherein they boast they may be found even as we.

Again I say, Let not any one think me to be a fool; but if otherwise, receive me then even as a fool, that I also may boast myself some little.

in journeyings often, in perils of rivers, in perils of robbers, in perils from my own race, in perils from the nations, in perils in the city, in perils in the desert, in perils on the sea, in perils among false brethren;

Besides those things that are without, the crowd of cares pressing on me daily, the burden of all the assemblies.

If it is needful to boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity.

In Damascus the ethnarch of Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes shut up, wishing to take me;

Well, it is not of profit to me to boast, for I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

Of such a one I will boast, but of myself I will not boast, unless in my weaknesses.

For if I shall desire to boast, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth; but I forbear, lest any one should think as to me above what he sees me to be, or whatever he may hear of me.

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

For this I thrice besought the Lord that it might depart from me.

And he said to me, My grace suffices thee; for my power is perfected in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather boast in my weaknesses, that the power of the Christ may dwell upon me.

I have become a fool; ye have compelled me; for I ought to have been commended by you; for I have been nothing behind those who were in surpassing degree apostles, if also I am nothing.

For in what is it that ye have been inferior to the other assemblies, unless that I myself have not been in laziness a charge upon you? Forgive me this injury.

lest my God should humble me as to you when I come again, and that I shall grieve over many of those who have sinned before, and have not repented as to the uncleanness and fornication and licentiousness which they have practised.

Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, (who is not weak towards you, but is powerful among you,

But we pray to God that ye may do nothing evil; not that we may appear approved, but that ye may do what is right, and we be as reprobates.

For we rejoice when we may be weak and ye may be powerful. But this also we pray for, your perfecting.

On this account I write these things being absent, that being present I may not use severity according to the authority which the Lord has given me for building up, and not for overthrowing.