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 we write you nothing other than what you read and understand [there is no double meaning in what we say]. And I hope you will [accurately] understand [divine things] until the end;

And by way of Corinth to go into Macedonia, and from there to come back again to you, so that you might send me on my way to Judaea.

When I therefore was thus minded, did I use lightness? or the things that I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be yea yea, and nay nay?

As surely as God can be relied on, there has been no equivocation about our message to you.

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us??y me and Silvanus and Timotheus??as not yea and nay, but there was yea 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.

For we do not have [the right to] rule over your faith [i.e., to dictate concerning your personal relationship with God], but we want to work with you for your happiness. For you are [already] standing firm in your faith. [Note: This whole narrative alludes to some unresolved problems still existing there in Corinth].

For if I make you sad, who is there to make me glad but the very man who has been made sad by me?

When you forgive someone, I do, too. Indeed, what I have forgiven if there was anything to forgive I did in the presence of the Messiah for your benefit,

Now when I came to Troas for the good news of Christ, and there was an open door for me in the Lord,

I had no rest of spirit, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said goodbye to them and left for Macedonia.

For if [there was] glory in the ministry of condemnation, by much more will the ministry of righteousness overflow with glory.

For no doubt that which was there glorified is not once glorified in respect of this exceeding glory.

However, their minds were hardened, for to this day the same veil is still there when they read the old covenant. Only in union with the Messiah is that veil removed.

but even till this day, when Moses is read, there lieth a veil upon their heart;

And, the Lord, is, the Spirit: now, where the Spirit of one who is Lord is, there is freedom!

in whom the god of this age did blind the minds of the unbelieving, that there doth not shine forth to them the enlightening of the good news of the glory of the Christ, who is the image of God;

In our bodies there is ever the mark of the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be seen in our bodies.

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!

There is no narrowness in my love; but the narrowness is in your own.

Do not be mismatched with unbelievers. For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?

And what agreement is there between Christ and the Evil One? or what part has one who has faith with one who has not?

And what agreement is there between a temple of God and idols? For we are a temple of the living God, just as God said [Lev. 26:12], "I will live in them and walk among them [i.e., among His people]; and I will be their God and they will be my people."

Make room for us in your hearts. There is not one of you whom we have wronged, not one to whom we have done harm, not one over whom we have gained any selfish advantage.

I do not say this to condemn you, for I have said before that you are [nested] in our hearts [and you will remain there] to die together and to live together [with us].

For even when we had come into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; there were fightings outside and fears inside.

For the sorrow which God gives is the cause of salvation through a change of heart, in which there is no reason for grief: but the sorrow of the world is a cause of death.

For if there is anything I have boasted to him about you, you did not cause me to be ashamed of it. But as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting to Titus [about you] proved to be true also.

So now complete the doing of it also, in order that just as there was the readiness to will, so there may be the accomplishment according to your means.

For if there be first willing mind, the gift is accepted according to what a man has, and not according to what he has not.

It is not that there may be relief for others and hardship for you, but it is a question of equality—

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

If [there is a question] concerning Titus, [he is] my partner and fellow worker for you. If [there is a question concerning] our brothers, [they are] messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ.

But there is no need for me to say anything in my letter about the giving to the saints:

Lest by any means, if there should come with me Macedonians, and find you unprepared, we, - not to say, ye, - should be put to shame in this confidence.

But this there is to say: He that soweth sparingly, shall reap also sparingly; and he that soweth bountifully, shall reap also bountifully.

Everyone is to give what he has made up his mind to give; there is to be no grudging or compulsion about it, for God loves the giver who gives cheerfully.

I make this request so that I do not have to be bold when I am present [with you], and feel compelled to speak in an authoritative tone to some people [there] who think we are living by worldly standards.

Such people should consider this: What we say in our letters when we are away is what we will do when we are there.

But we will not boast beyond our proper boundaries [Note: This may mean that Paul was not attempting to exercise apostolic authority outside the parameters assigned to him by God], but will restrict our boasting to the area assigned to us by God as a field of service, which includes you people [there in Corinth].

For there is no undue stretch of authority on our part, as though it did not extend to you. We pressed on even to Corinth, and were the first to proclaim to you the Good News of the Christ.

For I consider myself not to be one bit inferior to those "super apostles." [Note: Paul is referring to his opponents there in Corinth who claimed apostolic authority].

And when I was there with you and in need, I was not a [financial] burden to anyone, for when the brothers came from Macedonia they provided me with what I lacked, so I kept myself from being a burden to you in every way and will continue to do so.

Seeing that there are those who take credit to themselves after the flesh, I will do the same.

I am ashamed to say that we were [too] weak to do such things. [Note: Paul is probably saying, sarcastically, "We are too 'weak' to take financial advantage of people and mistreat them the way those 'super apostles' there in Corinth were doing"]. Yet, in whatever [matters] anyone [there] dares to boast about, (now I am really speaking foolishly), I will dare to boast also.

Are they [i.e., Paul's opponents there in Corinth] Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.

Not to mention other things, there is the crowding pressure of each day upon me, the care of all the churches.

If there must be boasting, I will boast of the things that show my weakness!

I have to keep on boasting. There is no good to be gotten from it, but I will go on to visions and revelations which the Lord has given me.

was [actually] taken up into Paradise. [Note: This is the same as the "third heaven" of the previous verse, and was a place in the presence of God. See Luke 23:43; Rev. 2:7]. There he heard inexpressible words which are not permitted for people to repeat.

It was for this reason, lest I should be over-elated, that there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to buffet me, lest I should be over-elated.

and he said to me, "My favor is enough for you, for only where there is weakness is perfect strength developed." So I am perfectly willing to boast of all my weakness, so that the strength of Christ may shelter me.

I have become foolish [i.e., by my boasting], but you made me do it [i.e., in order to vindicate myself]. For I should have been commended by you [i.e., for my effective ministry there in Corinth], because I was not inferior in any way to those "super apostles" [See 11:5], even though I am nothing.

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!

Was there, anyone of those whom I have sent unto you, through whom I have overreached you?

For I dread that perhaps, when I come, I may not find you to be such as I wish, and that I may be found by you such as you do not wish; I dread lest there should be quarrels, jealousy, tempers, party spirit, slandering, gossip, arrogance, tumults;

I told you the last time I was there, and now before returning, I [again] warn those who have sinned in the past as well as the rest, that if I come again I will not spare you [i.e., I will rebuke and discipline you],

since you are looking for proof that Christ is speaking through me. Christ is not weak in His dealing with you, but is powerful among you. [Note: Paul probably refers to the positive effects of his ministry there in Corinth].

This is why I am writing these things while absent, that when I am there I will not use severity, in keeping with the authority the Lord gave me for building up and not for tearing down.