For we do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, as to our tribulation which happened to us in Asia, that we were excessively pressed beyond our power, so as to despair even of living.

But we ourselves had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not have our trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead;

For our boasting is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and sincerity before God, (not in fleshly wisdom but in God's grace,) we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly towards you.

For we do not write other things to you but what ye well know and recognise; and I hope that ye will recognise to the end,

Now God is faithful, that our word to you is not yea and 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.

Not that we rule over your faith, but are fellow-workmen of your joy: for by faith ye stand.

But I have judged this with myself, not to come back to you in grief.

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.

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

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

For we do not, as the many, make a trade of the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as of God, before God, we speak in Christ.

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

being manifested to be Christ's epistle ministered by us, written, not with ink, but the Spirit of the living God; not on stone tables, but on fleshy tables of the heart.

not that we are competent of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, but our competency is of God;

who has also made us competent, as ministers of the new covenant; not of letter, but of spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit quickens.

(But if the ministry of death, in letters, graven in stones, began with glory, so that the children of Israel could not fix their eyes on the face of Moses, on account of the glory of his face, a glory which is annulled;

how shall not rather the ministry of the Spirit subsist in glory?

For also that which was glorified is not glorified in this respect, on account of the surpassing glory.

and not according as Moses put a veil on his own face, so that the children of Israel should not fix their eyes on the end of that annulled.

Therefore, having this ministry, as we have had mercy shewn us, we faint not.

But we have rejected the hidden things of shame, not walking in deceit, nor falsifying the word of God, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every conscience of men before God.

in whom the god of this world has blinded the thoughts of the unbelieving, so that the radiancy of the glad tidings of the glory of the Christ, who is the image of God, should not shine forth for them.

For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus Lord, and ourselves your bondmen for Jesus' sake.

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

every way afflicted, but not straitened; seeing no apparent issue, but our way not entirely shut up;

persecuted, but not abandoned; cast down, but not destroyed;

Wherefore we faint not; but if indeed our outward man is consumed, yet the inward is renewed day by day.

while we look not at the things that are seen, but at the things that are not seen; for the things that are seen are for a time, but those that are not seen eternal.

For we know that if our earthly tabernacle house be destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

if indeed being also clothed we shall not be found naked.

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 walk by faith, not by sight;)

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.

how that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not reckoning to them their offences; and putting in us the word of that reconciliation.

Him who knew not sin he has made sin for us, that we might become God's righteousness in him.

But as fellow-workmen, we also beseech that ye receive not the grace of God in vain:

giving no manner of offence in anything, that the ministry be not blamed;

as unknown, and well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as disciplined, and not put to death;

Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your affections;

Be not diversely yoked with unbelievers; for what participation is there between righteousness and lawlessness? or what fellowship of light with darkness?

Wherefore come out from the midst of them, and be separated, saith the Lord, and touch not what is unclean, and I will receive you;

I do not speak for condemnation, for I have already said that ye are in our hearts, to die together, and live together.

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.

For if also I grieved you in the letter, I do not regret it, if even I have regretted it; for I see that that letter, if even it were only for a time, grieved you.

Now I rejoice, not that ye have been grieved, but that ye have been grieved to repentance; for ye have been grieved according to God, that in nothing ye might be injured by us.

So then, if also I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of him that injured, nor for the sake of him that was injured, but for the sake of our diligent zeal for you being manifested to you before God.

Because if I boasted to him anything about you, I have not been put to shame; but as we have spoken to you all things in truth, so also our boasting to Titus has been the truth;

And not according as we hoped, but they gave themselves first to the Lord, and to us by God's will.

I do not speak as commanding it, but through the zeal of others, and proving the genuineness of your love.

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,

and not only so, but is also chosen by the assemblies as our fellow-traveller with this grace, ministered by us to the glory of the Lord himself, and a witness of our readiness;

for we provide for things honest, not only before the Lord, but also before men.

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.

each according as he is purposed in his heart; not grievingly, or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

Because the ministration of this service is not only filling up the measure of what is lacking to the saints, but also abounding by many thanksgivings to God;

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.

For walking in flesh, we do not war according to flesh.

For the arms of our warfare are not fleshly, but powerful according to God to the overthrow of strongholds;

For and if I should boast even somewhat more abundantly of our authority, which the Lord has given to us for building up and not for your overthrowing, I shall not be put to shame;

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

For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves; but these, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are not intelligent.

Now we will not boast out of measure, but according to the measure of the rule which the God of measure has apportioned to us, to reach to you also.

For we do not, as not reaching to you, overstretch ourselves, (for we have come to you also in the glad tidings of the Christ;)

not boasting out of measure in other people's labours, but having hope, your faith increasing, to be enlarged amongst you, according to our rule, yet more abundantly

to announce the glad tidings to that which is beyond you, not to be boasting in another's rule of things made ready to hand.

For not he that commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.

For if indeed he that comes preaches another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or ye get a different Spirit, which ye have not got, or a different glad tidings, which ye have not received, ye might well bear with it.

But if I am a simple person in speech, yet not in knowledge, but in everything making the truth manifest in all things to you.

And being present with you and lacking, I did not lazily burden any one, (for the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied what I lacked,) and in everything I kept myself from being a burden to you, and will keep myself.

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

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

And it is not wonderful, for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.

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.

What I speak I do not speak according to the Lord, but as in folly, in this confidence of boasting.

Thrice have I been scourged, once I have been stoned, three times I have suffered shipwreck, a night and day I passed in the deep:

Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is stumbled, and I burn not?

The God and Father of the Lord Jesus knows he who is blessed for ever that I do not lie.

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

I know a man in Christ, fourteen years ago, (whether in the body I know not, or out of the body I know not, God knows;) such a one caught up to the third heaven.

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

that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable things said which it is not allowed to man to utter.

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 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.

Behold, this third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be in laziness a charge; for I do not seek yours, but you; for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.

But be it so. I did not burden you, but being crafty I took you by guile.

I begged Titus, and sent the brother with him: did Titus at all make gain of you? have we not walked in the same spirit? have we not in the same steps?

For I fear lest perhaps coming I find you not such as I wish, and that I be found by you such as ye do not wish: lest there might be strifes, jealousies, angers, contentions, evil speakings, whisperings, puffings up, disturbances;

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.

I have declared beforehand, and I say beforehand as present the second time, and now absent, to those that have sinned before, and to all the rest, that if I come again I will not spare.