And so, our hope, is sure in your behalf, - knowing that, - as ye are sharers of the sufferings, so, also of the encouragement.

For we do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, as to our tribulation which happened in Asia, - that, exceedingly, beyond power, were we weighed down, so that we despaired, even of life.

But, we ourselves, within ourselves, have had the sentence of death, that we might not rest our confidence upon ourselves, but upon God, who raiseth the dead,

Who, out of so great a death, rescued us, and will rescue, - unto whom we have turned our hope, that, even yet, he will rescue:

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.

For, our boasting, is, this, - the witness of our conscience, that, in sanctity and sincerity of God, and not in fleshly wisdom, but in God's favour, have we behaved ourselves in the world, - and more abundantly towards you.

For, no other things, are we writing unto you, than what ye are either reading or even acknowledging, - I hope, moreover, that, throughout, ye will acknowledge,

According as ye have also acknowledged us, in part, - that, your theme of boasting, we are, even indeed as, ye, also shall be , ours, in the day of our Lord Jesus.

And, in this confidence, I purposed, before, to come unto you, - in order that, a second joy, ye might have, -

This, then, being my purpose, perhaps, after all, with lightness, I dealt with the matter ? or, the things that I purpose, according to the flesh, I purpose, - that, with me, should be the Yea, yea, and the Nay, nay?

Faithful, however, is God, in that, our discourse, which was delivered unto you, is not Yea and Nay;

Now, he that confirmeth us, together with you, for Christ, and hath anointed us, is God:

But, I, call upon God, as a witness, against my own soul, - that, to spare you, not yet, have I come unto Corinth:

Not that we have lordship over your faith, but are, helpers, of your joy, for, by your faith, ye stand.

For, if, I, grieve you, who then is he that is to gladden me, - save he who is being grieved through me;

And I wrote this very thing - lest, if I came, I should have, grief, from those over whom I had need to rejoice, - having confidence in you all, that, my joy, is the joy, of you all.

For, out of much tribulation and anguish of heart, wrote I unto you, through many tears, - not that ye might be grieved, but that, the love, ye might know, which I have very abundantly unto you.

Now, if anyone hath caused grief, not unto me hath he caused grief, but - that I may not bear too heavily - unto you all.

So that, on the contrary, ye should forgive and encourage, lest, by any means, by his excessive grief, such a one should be swallowed up.

For, to this end, I also wrote, - that I might know the proof of you, whether, in all things, ye are obedient.

That, of Christ, a grateful odour, are we, unto God, - in them who are being saved, and in them who are being lost:

Manifesting yourselves that ye are a letter of Christ, ministered by us, - inscribed - not with ink, but with the Spirit of a Living God, not in tablets of stone, but in tablets which are hearts of flesh.

Not that, of our own selves, sufficient, are we, to reckon anything as of ourselves, but, our sufficiency, is of God; -

But, if, the ministry of death, in letters engraven in stones, was brought into existence with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look steadfastly into the face of Moses, by reason of the glory of his face - which glory was to be done away,

For that which hath been made glorious, hath not even been made glorious, in this respect, - by reason of the surpassing glory.

For, if that which was to be done away was brought in with glory, much more, that which is to abide, is in glory.

And are not just like Moses, who kept putting a veil upon his face, so that the sons of Israel should not look steadily unto the end of that which was to be done away.

And, we all, with unveiled face, receiving and reflecting, the glory of the Lord, into the same image, are being transformed, from glory into glory, - even as from a Spirit that is Lord.

Howbeit we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that, the surpassing greatness of the power, may be of God, and not from ourselves: -

At all times, the putting to death of Jesus, in our body, bearing about, in order that, the life also of Jesus, in our body, may be made manifest;

For, evermore, we, the living, unto death are being delivered, for Jesus' sake, in order that, the life also of Jesus, may be made manifest in our mortal flesh:

So that, his death, in us, doth energise, but, his life, in you.

Howbeit, seeing that we have the same spirit of faith, according to that which is written - I believed, therefore I spake, we, also believe, therefore also we speak:

Knowing that, he who raised up the Lord Jesus, will raise up, us also, together with Jesus, and will present us together with you.

For, all things, are for your sakes, in order that, the favour abounding, may, through means of the greater number, cause, the thanksgiving, to superabound unto the glory of God.

For we know that - -if, our earthly tent-dwelling, should be taken down, we have, a building of God, a dwelling not made by hand, age-abiding in the heavens.

And verily, we who are in the tent, do sigh, being weighed down, while yet we are not wishing to unclothe ourselves, but to clothe ourselves over, - in order that, what is mortal, may be swallowed up, by life.

Now, he that hath wrought us for this very thing, is, God, - who hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit,

Having good courage, therefore, at all times, and knowing that - remaining at home in the body, we are away from home from the Lord, -

For, we all, must needs be made manifest before the judgment seat of the Christ, that each one may get back the things done by means of the body, according to the things which he practised, whether good or corrupt.

Knowing, then, the fear of the Lord, we persuade, men, but, unto God, are manifest, - I hope, moreover, even in your consciences, that we are manifest:

Not again, ourselves, do we commend unto you, but as though an occasion we were giving unto you - something to boast of, in our behalf; that ye may have something suited unto them who, in appearance, are boasting, and not in heart.

Having judged this, - that, one, in behalf of all, died, hence, they all, died; and, in behalf of all, died he, - in order that, they who live, no longer for themselves, should live, but for him who, in their behalf, died and rose again.

So that, we, henceforth, know, no one, after the flesh: if we have even been gaining, after the flesh, a knowledge of Christ,

On the contrary, now, no longer, are we gaining it. So that, if any one is in Christ, there is a new creation! the old things, have passed away, - Lo! they have become new!

How that, God, was in Christ, reconciling, a world, unto himself, not reckoning, unto them, their offences, - and hath put, in us, the reconciling discourse.

Him who knew not sin, in our behalf, he made to be, sin, that we might become God's righteousness in him.

As co-workers, however, we also beseech, that, not in vain, the favour of God, ye welcome;

Giving, no single, occasion of stumbling, in anything, that the ministry be not blamed;

And what agreement hath a shrine of God with idols? For, we, are the shrine of a God, that liveth: - even as God hath said - will dwell in them, and walk, and will be their God, and, they, shall be my people.

But, he who encourageth them that are brought low, encouraged us, - even God, - by the presence of Titus.

Not, however, by his presence alone, but also by the encouragement wherewith he had been encouraged over you: recounting unto us your earnest desire, your lamentation, your zeal in my behalf. So that I the more rejoiced.

Because, if I even grieved you by the letter, I do not regret, - though I could even have regretted, - I see that that letter, if even for an hour, did cause you grief.

Now, am I rejoicing, - not that ye were grieved, but that ye were grieved unto repentance; for ye were grieved according to God, in order that, in nothing, should ye receive damage from us.

Hence, if I even wrote unto you, it was not for the sake of him that did the wrong, naynot even for the sake of him that suffered the wrong; but for the sake of your earnestness, which was on our account, being made manifest unto you, before God:-

For this cause, have we received encouragement. In addition to our encouragement, however, much more abundantly, have we rejoiced over the joy of Titus, - that his spirit hath received refreshment from you all,

That, if in anything - unto him - in your behalf - I have boasted, I have not been put to shame; but, as, all things, in truth, we told you, so, even our boasting before Titus, turned out to be, truth.

I rejoice that, in everything, I am of good courage respecting you.

That, in a great testing of tribulation, the superabounding of their joy and their deep destitution, superabounded unto the riches of their liberality;

That, according to power, I bear witness, and beyond power, of their own accord, they acted , -

To the end we should exhort Titus, in order that, according as he before made a beginning, so, he should also complete unto you this favour also.

But, just as, in everything, ye superabound, - in faith, and discourse, and knowledge, and all earnestness, and in the love among you which proceedeth from us, in order that, in this favour also, ye would superabound.

For ye are taking knowledge of the favour of our Lord Jesus Christ, - how that, for your sakes, he became destitute - although he was, rich, in order that, ye, by his destitution, might be enriched.

Howbeit, now, the doing also, complete ye, in order that, even according to the forwardness of the desiring, so, may be the completing - out of what ye have.

For, not that unto others should be relief, and unto you distress do I speak , but, by equality, in the present season, your surplus for their deficiency, -

In order that their surplus may come to be for your deficiency: that there may come about an equality: -

Even as it is written - He that gathered the much, had not more than enough, and, he that gathered the little, had not less,

In that, though, indeed, the exhortation, he welcomed; yet already being, greatly in earnest, of his own accord, hath he gone forth unto you.

For I know your forwardness of mind - of which, in your behalf, I am boasting unto Macedonians, that, Achaia, hath been prepared for a year past, - and, your zeal, hath stirred up the greater number of them.

Nevertheless I have sent the brethren, that, our boast in your behalf, be not made void, in this respect, that, even as I was saying, ye may be prepared, -

Necessary, therefore, I regarded it, to exhort the brethren that they would go forward unto you, and make up beforehand your previously-promised blessing. The same, to be ready - thus, as a blessing, and not as of constraint.

As to this, however, he that soweth sparingly, sparingly, also shall reap, and, he that soweth with blessings, with blessings, also shall reap:

Moreover God is able to cause, every gracious gift, to superabound unto you, in order that, having in every thing, at every time, every kind of sufficiency of your own, ye may be superabounding unto every good work;

Now, he that supplieth seed to the sower, and bread for eating, will supply and multiply your seed for sowing, and cause to grow your fruits of righteousness:

I entreat, however, that, when present, I may not be bold with the assurance wherewith I think to be daring against some who account of us as though, according to flesh, we were walking, -

When we pull down, calculations, and every height that uplifteth itself against the knowledge of God, and when we bring into captivity every thought unto the obedience of the Christ,

The things that lie on the surface, ye are looking at: - if anyone hath come to trust in himself that he is, Christ's, this, let him reckon, again, with himself - that, even as, he, is Christ's, so, also are, we.

That I may not seem as though I would be terrifying you through means of my letters;

This, let such a one reckon - that, what we are, in our word, through means of letters, being absent, such, also, being present, are we, in our deed.

He that boasteth, however, in the Lord, let him boast;

For, not he that commendeth himself, he, is approved, but he whom, the Lord, doth commend.

For, if, indeed, he that cometh, is proclaiming, another Jesus, whom we have not proclaimed, or, a different Spirit, ye are receiving, which ye had not received, or a different glad-message, which ye have never welcomed, ye are, well, bearing.

Or, a sin, did I commit - abasing, myself, that, ye, might be exalted, - in that, free of charge, God's glad-message, I announced unto you?

Other assemblies, I despoiled, receiving supplies that I might minister, unto you;

Truth of Christ is in me, that, this boasting, shall not be silenced unto me, in the regions of Achaia.

But, what I am doing, I also will do, - that I may cut off the occasion of them who are wishing an occasion, that, wherein they are boasting themselves, they may be found even as also, we.

Again, I say - let no one deem me to be, foolish; but, otherwise, at least, as foolish, give me welcome, that, I also, some little, may boast myself.

If, to boast, is needful, in the things that concern my weakness, will I boast.

The God and Father of our Lord Jesus, knoweth - He who is blessed unto the ages - that I am not speaking falsely:

How that he was caught away into paradise, and heard unspeakable things, which it is not allowable for a man to utter:

Wherefore, lest I should be unduly lifted up, there was given to me a thorn o in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, that he might buffet me, - lest I should be unduly lifted up.

In this behalf, thrice, besought I, the Lord, that it might depart from me;

And at once he said unto me - Sufficient for thee, is my favour, for, my power, in weakness, is made complete. Most gladly, therefore, will I rather boast in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may spread a tent over me.

For what is there wherein ye were made inferior to the rest of the assemblies, - save that, I myself, would not allow myself to be a burden unto you? Forgive me this wrong!

All this time, think ye, that, unto you, we are making a defence? Before God in Christ, we speak; - but all these things, beloved, for your upbuilding.

I have said beforehand, and do say beforehand, - as present the second time, although now absent, unto them who before sinned, and unto all the rest, - that, if I come again, I will not spare.

Be trying, yourselves, whether ye are in the faith, be putting, yourselves, to the test! Or do ye not recognise yourselves, seeing that, Jesus Christ, is in you, - unless perhaps ye fail in the testing.

I hope, however, that ye shall come to know, that, we, fail not in the testing!

But we pray unto God, that ye may do nothing base, - not that, we, may appear, accepted, but that, ye, the honourable thing, may be doing, even though, we, should be, as it were, rejected;

For this cause, these things, while absent, am I writing, that I may not, when present, deal sharply - according to the authority which, the Lord, hath given me, for building up and not for pulling down.