For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our distress which came upon us in Asia, that it was exceedingly heavy upon us beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life;

And in this confidence it was my purpose to come to you before, that ye might receive a second benefit;

For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by us, by me and Silvanus and Timothy, was not found yea and nay, but in him hath been found yea.

But I call upon God as a witness against my soul, that it was to spare you that I came no more to Corinth;

Sufficient for such a one is this punishment, which was inflicted by the many;

But if the ministration of death, engraven in letters on stones, was so glorious, that the children of Israel could not look steadfastly on the face of Moses by reason of the glory of his countenance, which glory was to be done away,

For even that which was made glorious hath ceased to be glorious in this respect, by reason of the glory by which it is exceeded.

For if that which was to be done away was glorious, much more glorious is that which endureth.

and do not as Moses did, who put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel might not steadfastly look on the end of that which was to be done away.

For whether we were beside ourselves, it was for God; or whether we are in our sound mind, it is for you.

seeing that in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not reckoning to them their trespasses, and having committed to us the word of reconciliation.

and not by his coming only, but by the comfort with which he was comforted in regard to you, when he told us of your earnest desire, your mourning, your zeal in my behalf; so that I rejoiced the more.

For though I caused you sorrow with the letter, I do not regret it, though I did regret it; for I perceive that that letter caused you sorrow, though it was but for a short time.

Although, then, I wrote to you, it was not on account of him that did the wrong, nor of him who suffered wrong; but that your earnestness for us might be made manifest to you in the sight of God.

for if in anything I have boasted to him of you, I am not put to shame; but as we spoke all things to you in truth, so also our boasting, which we made before Titus, was found to be truth;

For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

Now therefore perform the doing of it, that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have.

and not that only, but who was also appointed by the churches as our fellowtraveler in the matter of this bounty, which is administered by us to the honor of the Lord himself, and of our ready mind;

For I know your readiness of mind, of which I boast in behalf of you to the Macedonians, that Achaia was prepared a year ago; and your zeal stirred up the greater part of them.

I thought it necessary therefore to exhort the brethren to go before to you, and make up beforehand your bounty, which was already announced, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not of covetousness.

and when I was present with you, and in want, I was a charge to no one; (for the brethren, when they came from Macedonia, supplied my wants;) and in every thing I kept myself and will keep myself from being burdensome to you.

thrice I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have spent in the deep;

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

that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

And that I might not be too much lifted up by the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to buffet me, that I might not be too much lifted up.

I have become a fool; it is ye that compelled me. For I ought to have been commended by you; for in nothing was I behind the very foremost apostles, though I am nothing.

For what is there in which ye were at disadvantage when compared with other churches, except that I myself was not a charge to you? Forgive me this wrong.

But be it so; I at least was not a charge to you; but yet, being crafty, I caught you with guile.

For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth through the power of God; for we also are weak in him, but we shall live together with him by the power of God toward you.