who encourages us in all our affliction, in order for us to be able to encourage those in every affliction, through the encouragement of which we ourselves are encouraged by God.

But whether we are oppressed, it is for your encouragement and salvation, which works by endurance from the same sufferings that we also experience (and our hope for you is steadfast), or we are encouraged, it is for your encourage

For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, about our affliction that happened to us in Asia, because we were extraordinarily weighed down, above strength, so as for us to despair even to be alive.

But we ourselves have had the sentence of death in ourselves, so that we should not be trusting in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead.

And of you who help together by supplication for us (a gift for us from many persons, because of many), so that there may be gratitude about you.

For our pride is this (the testimony from our conscience), that we behave in the world in the simplicity and purity of God, not by fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, and especially toward you.

and to pass through you into Macedonia, and to come again from Macedonia to you, and by you to be helped on the way toward Judea.

Therefore intending this, did I accordingly employ anything in lightness? Or what I decide, do I decide according to flesh, so that it would be with me the yes, yes and the no, no?

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ who was proclaimed among you by us (by me and Silvanus and Timothy) became not, yes and no, but in him has become, yes.

For as many as be promises of God, in him is the Yes, and in him the Truly, for glory to God through us.

Not because we lord over your faith, but are co-workmen of your joy, for by faith ye stand.

For if I make you sad, who then is he who makes me glad except he who is made sad by me?

For out of much stress and dismay of heart, through many tears, I wrote to you, not that ye would be grieved, but that ye might know the love that I have so much more for you.

Sufficient to such a man is this punishment by the many,

so that instead, for you rather to forgive and encourage, lest perhaps such a man would be swallowed up with too much sorrow.

so that we may not be exploited by Satan. For we are not ignorant of his methods.

Ye are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men,

being seen that ye are a letter of Christ, administered by us, written not in ink, but in the Spirit of the living God, not in stony tablets, but in fleshly tablets, in hearts.

how will the administration of the spirit not be more in glory?

But we all, with unveiled face seeing by reflection the glory of Lord, are transformed into the same likeness from glory to glory, just as from the Spirit of Lord.

But we have renounced the covert things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor misrepresenting the word of God, but by the disclosure of the truth, commending ourselves to every conscience of men before God.

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

Always carrying around in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, so that also the life of Jesus may be made visible in our body.

For we who live are always given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that also the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh.

Therefore we are not discouraged, but even if the outer man of us is perishing, yet the inner man is renewed day by day.

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

if indeed also having put it on we will not be found naked.

For also those who are in the tent groan, being burdened, not in that we want to undress, but to clothe ourselves, so that the mortal may be swallowed up by the life.

for we walk by faith, not by sight.

And we are confident, and are pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be at home near the Lord.

Therefore also we aspire, whether at home or away from home, to be well-pleasing to him.

We are therefore, ambassadors on behalf of Christ, as though God were calling through us. We plead on behalf of Christ, be ye reconciled to God.

giving not one cause of stumbling in anything, so that the ministry may not be criticized,

But I speak the same recompense as to children, be ye also enlarged.

And what mutual agreement has a temple of God with idols? For ye are a temple of the living God, just as God said, I will dwell in them, and will walk among them. And I will be their God, and they will be a people to me.

Therefore, Come ye out from among them, and be ye separated, says Lord, And touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you

and will be for a Father to you, and ye will be for sons and daughters to me, says Lord Almighty.

Nevertheless God, who encourages the lowly, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus.

And not only by his presence, but also by the encouragement with which he was encouraged by you, reporting to us your earnest desire, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced the more.

For behold this same thing--your grieving toward God. How much eagerness it worked in you, even a defense, even indignation, even fear, even longing, even zeal, even vengeance! In everything ye demonstrated yourselves to be pure in

Because of this we have been encouraged. And from your encouragement, we rejoiced to a greater degree more at the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all.

But as ye abound in everything, in faith, and word, and knowledge, and all diligence, and in your love to us, be that ye may also abound in this kindness.

For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that although he was rich he became poor for your sakes, so that by that man's poverty ye might become rich.

And not only so, but who was also chosen by the congregations, a traveling companion of us with this gift administered by us, for the glory of the same Lord and our willingness.

Arranging this lest any man may criticize us in this bounty administered by us,

But I sent the brothers so that our boast about you would not be empty in this regard. So that, as I said, ye may be prepared,

if somehow Macedonians should come with me and find you unprepared, we (that we might not say, ye) would be embarrassed in this confidence of boast.

Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brothers that they would go ahead to you, and arrange in advance your gift that was earlier announced, for this to be ready this way as a gift and not as an exaction.

and by their supplication about you, yearning for you because of the transcending grace of God in you.

Now I Paul myself entreat you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who indeed am lowly in presence among you, but am bold toward you when absent.

But I pray not to be bold when present with the confidence by which I consider to be valiant toward some who consider us as walking according to flesh.

Do ye look at things according to appearance. If any man has convinced himself to be of Christ, let him consider this again of himself, that, as he is of Christ, so also are we of Christ.

For even if I also should boast somewhat more abundantly about our authority (which the Lord gave us for building up, and not for tearing you down), I will not be shamed,

so that I would not seem as if to terrify you by the letters.

Let such a man think this, that such kind we are in word by letters when absent, we are also such kind when present in the work.

For we dare not classify or compare ourselves to some of those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves to themselves, do not understand.

not boasting in things immeasurable, in other men's labors, but having hope of your faith growing in you to be enlarged according to our measure for abundance,

But I fear lest somehow, as the serpent enticed Eve by his craftiness, so your thoughts might be corrupted from the simplicity in the Christ.

Or did I commit a sin lowering myself so that ye might be lifted up, because I preached to you the good-news of God freely?

The truth of Christ is in me that this pride in me will not be stopped in the regions of Achaia.

Therefore, it is no great thing if his helpers also disguise themselves as helpers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

I say again, let not any man think me to be foolish, but if otherwise--even if as foolish--accept me, so that I also may boast some a little.

I speak as from shame, that we were so weak. Yet in whatever any man may be bold in foolishness, I say I too am bold.

For if I should want to boast, I will not be foolish, for I will speak the truth. But I refrain lest any man should reckon to me above what he sees of me or hears anything from me.

And so that I might not be over exalted by the extraordinariness of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, an agent of Satan so that he would buffet me, so that I would not be over exalted.

I have become foolish, boasting. Ye compelled me, for I ought to have been commended by you. For I came short in nothing of those, superlative apostles, even though I am nothing.

Behold, a third time I fare readily to come to you, and I will not be burdensome to you, for I seek not the things of you, but you. For the children ought not lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.

And I most gladly will spend, and will be spent for your souls. Even though more earnestly loving you, the worse I am loved.

But let it be. I did not burden you. Nevertheless, being clever, I caught you with bait.

For I fear lest somehow, having come, I may find you not such as I want, and I may be found by you such as ye do not want, lest somehow there be strifes, envyings, wraths, selfish ambitions, slanderings, whisperings, puffings up, t

This third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two witnesses or three every saying will be confirmed.

Now I pray to God, to do you nothing harmful, not that we would appear test-passing, but that ye would do right, even like we might be test-failing.

Finally brothers, farewell. Be thoroughly prepared, be encouraged, think the same way, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.

Salute each other by a holy kiss.