Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God that is in Corinth, together with all the saints who are in all Achaia.

And our hope for you [is] firm, [because we] know that as you are sharers in the sufferings, so also [you will be sharers] in the comfort.

who delivered us from so great [a risk] of death, and will deliver [us], in whom we have put our hope that he will also deliver [us] again,

For we are not writing [anything] else to you except what you can read or also understand. But I hope that you will understand {completely},

For if I [cause] you sorrow, then who will make me glad except the one who is caused to be sad by me?

how will the ministry of the Spirit not be even more with glory?

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

For God who said, "Light will shine out of darkness," [is the one] who has shined in our hearts for the enlightenment of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

[because we] know that the one who raised Jesus will also raise us together with Jesus and present [us] together with you.

if indeed, even [after we] have taken [it] off, we will not be found naked.

[We are] giving no one an occasion for taking offense in anything, in order that our ministry will not have fault found [with it],

And what agreement [does the] temple of God [have] with idols? For we are the temple of the living God, just as God said, "I will live in them and will walk about [among them], and I will be their God and they will be my people."

Therefore "come out from their midst and be separate," says the Lord, "and do not touch what is unclean, and I will welcome you,

and I will be a father to you, and you will be sons and daughters to me," says the all-powerful Lord.

now I rejoice, not that you were grieved, but that you were grieved to repentance. For you were grieved according to [the will of] God, so that you suffered loss in no way through us.

For grief according to [the will of] God brings about a repentance [leading] to salvation, not to be regretted, but worldly grief brings about death.

For behold how much diligence this very [thing], being grieved according to [the will of] God, has brought about in you: what defense [of yourselves], what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! In everything you have demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in this matter.

and not just as we had hoped, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and [then] to us, by the will of God.

At the present time your abundance [will be] for their need, in order that their abundance may also be for your need, so that there may be equality,

Now [the point is] this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

Now the one who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will provide and multiply your seed, and will cause the harvest of your righteousness to grow,

Through the proven character of this service [they will] glorify God because of the submission of your confession to the gospel of Christ and the generosity of [your] participation toward them and toward everyone,

now I ask [when I] am present [that I will] not [need] to be bold with the confidence [with] which I propose to show boldness toward some who consider us as behaving according to the flesh.

For even if I boast somewhat more about our authority that the Lord gave [us] {for building you up and not for tearing you down}, I will not be put to shame,

Let such a person consider this: that what we are in word by letters [when we] are absent, [we will] also [be] in {actions} [when we] are present.

But we will not boast {beyond limits}, but according to the measure of the assignment that God has assigned to us as a measure to reach even as far as you.

And [when I] was present with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need, and in everything I kept myself from being a burden to you, and will keep [myself from being a burden].

[As the] truth of Christ is in me, this boasting {of mine} will not be stopped in the regions of Achaia.

But what I am doing, I will also do, in order that I may remove the opportunity of those who want an opportunity, that they may be found just as also we [are] in what they are boasting about.

Therefore [it is] not a great thing if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.

Since many are boasting according to human standards, I also will boast.

If it is necessary to boast, I will boast [about] {the things related to my weakness}.

It is necessary to boast; [it is] not profitable, but I will proceed to visions and revelations of the Lord.

On behalf of such a person I will boast, but on behalf of myself I will not boast, except in my weaknesses.

For if I want to boast, I will not be foolish, because I will be telling the truth, but I am refraining, so that no one can credit to me more than what he sees [in] me or hears anything from me,

And he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, because the power is perfected in weakness." Therefore rather I will boast most gladly in my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may reside in me.

Behold, this third [time] I am ready to come to you, and I will not be a burden [to you]. For I am not seeking your possessions, but you. For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.

But I will spend and be expended most gladly for your lives. If I love you much more, am I to be loved less?

For I am afraid lest somehow [when I] arrive, I will not find you as I want, and I may be found by you as you do not want. [I am afraid] lest somehow [there will be] strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, pride, disorder.

[I am afraid] lest [when I] come again my God will humiliate me {in your presence}, and I will grieve over many of those who sinned previously and have not repented because of their impurity and sexual immorality and licentiousness that they have practiced.

This [is] the third [time] I am coming to you. {By the testimony} of two or three witnesses every word will be established.

I have already said when was present the second time, and [although I] am absent now also say in advance to those who sinned previously and to all the rest, that if I come again I will not spare [anyone],

For indeed, he was crucified because of weakness, but he lives because of the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we will live together with him because of the power of God toward you.

And I hope that you will recognize that we are not unqualified!

Finally, brothers, rejoice, be restored, be encouraged, {be in agreement}, be at peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.