Paul, apostle of Jesus Christ by God's will, and the brother Timotheus, to the assembly of God which is in Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassions, and God of all encouragement;

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.

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.

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.

and to pass through to Macedonia by you, and again from Macedonia to come to you, and to be set forward by you to Judaea.

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.

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

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

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.

Sufficient to such a one is this rebuke which has been inflicted by the many;

so that on the contrary ye should rather shew grace and encourage, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with excessive grief.

For to this end also I have written, that I might know, by putting you to the test, if as to everything ye are obedient.

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in the Christ, and makes manifest the odour of his knowledge through us in every place.

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.

For if the ministry of condemnation be glory, much rather the ministry of righteousness abounds in glory.

But we all, looking on the glory of the Lord, with unveiled face, are transformed according to the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Lord the Spirit.

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.

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;

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

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;)

we are confident, I say, and pleased rather to be absent from the body and present with the Lord.

Wherefore also we are zealous, whether present or absent, to be agreeable to him.

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.

So if any one be in Christ, there is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold all things have become new:

and all things are of the God who has reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and given to us the ministry of that reconciliation:

We are ambassadors therefore for Christ, God as it were beseeching by us, we entreat for Christ, Be reconciled to God.

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

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

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.

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;

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

But he who encourages those that are brought low, even God, encouraged us by the coming of Titus;

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.

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.

For grief according to God works repentance to salvation, never to be regretted; but the grief of the world works death.

For, behold, this same thing, your being grieved according to God, how much diligence it wrought in you, but what excusing of yourselves, but what indignation, but what fear, but what ardent desire, but what zeal, but what vengeance: in every way ye have proved yourselves to be pure in the matter.

For this reason we have been encouraged. And we the rather rejoiced in our encouragement more abundantly by reason of the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all.

begging of us with much entreaty to give effect to the grace and fellowship of the service which was to be rendered to the saints.

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

For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that for your sakes he, being rich, became poor, in order that ye by his poverty might be enriched.

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.

But now also complete the doing of it; so that as there was the readiness to be willing, so also to complete out of what ye have.

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.

But thanks be to God, who gives the same diligent zeal for you in the heart of Titus.

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;

avoiding this, that any one should blame us in this abundance which is administered by us;

And we have sent with them our brother whom we have often proved to be of diligent zeal in many things, and now more diligently zealous through the great confidence he has as 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.

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;

they glorifying God through the proof of this ministration, by reason of your subjection, by profession, to the glad tidings of the Christ, and your free-hearted liberality in communicating towards them and towards all;

Thanks be to God for his unspeakable free gift.

But I myself, Paul, entreat you by the meekness and gentleness of the Christ, who, as to appearance, when present am mean among you, but absent am bold towards you;

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 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:

Let such a one think this, that such as we are in word by letters when absent, such also present in deed.

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.

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.

But I fear lest by any means, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craft, so your thoughts should be corrupted from simplicity as to the Christ.

Have I committed sin, abasing myself in order that ye might be exalted, because I gratuitously announced to you the glad tidings of God?

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.

It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also transform themselves as ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

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.

and through a window in a basket I was let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.

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.

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.

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.

Now I shall most gladly spend and be utterly spent for your souls, if even in abundantly loving you I should be less loved.

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

Did I make gain of you by any of those whom I have sent to you?

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;

This third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every matter be established.

for if indeed he has been crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God's power; for indeed we are weak in him, but we shall live with him by God's power towards you,)

examine your own selves if ye be in the faith; prove your own selves: do ye not recognise yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you, unless indeed ye be reprobates?

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.

For the rest, brethren, rejoice; be perfected; be encouraged; be of one mind; be at peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.