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.

That's why we are not discouraged. No, even if outwardly we are wearing out, inwardly we are being renewed each and every day.

For our present light affliction works out for us an eternal fullness of glory, excelling all excellence, ls while we look not at the things that are seen, but at the things that are not seen: for the things seen are temporal; but the things not seen are eternal.

while we look not at the things that are seen, but at the things that are not seen; for the things that are seen are for a time, but those that are not seen eternal.

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.

for also in this we groan, with our dwelling that is from heaven earnestly desiring to clothe ourselves,

If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.

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, -

Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.

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.

'I am beside myself,' am I? Well, that is between myself and God. I am 'sane,' am I? Well, that is in your interests;

For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:

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!

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:

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.

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, certain that God is appealing through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.”

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;

for he saith, " I have heard thee in a favourable time, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee." now this is the favourable time; this is that day of salvation.

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

On the contrary, I am trying in everything to prove to people that I am a true servant of God: by my tremendous endurance in sorrows, distresses, difficulties;

by preaching the truth; through the power of God [i.e., possibly including miracles]; and by [using] weapons of righteousness in [our] right and left hands. [Note: This could allude to offensive and defensive weapons and means that Paul was fully equipped to do whatever was right].

It is not that I am cramping you, it is your own affections.

That you may repay me in like manner, (I speak as to children,) be you also enlarged.

And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

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.

Therefore, "Come out from them, And separate from them, says the Lord, And touch nothing that is unclean. Then I will welcome you,

Seeing that we have such promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, and grow up to full holiness in the fear of God.

I speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you.

for when I came to Macedonia, I had no respit from the trouble that beset me on every side: oppositions from without, and apprehensions within.

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.

for religious sorrow produces that salutary repentance, which we never regret: but worldly sorrow preys upon life.

For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

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.

and his affection to you is abundantly increased, whilst he remembers your obedience, and that fear and reverence with which you all received him.

I rejoice that I have complete confidence in you.

And we make known to you, brethren, the grace of God, that hath been given in the assemblies of Macedonia,

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

For I can testify that according to their ability, and even beyond their ability, of their own free will, too, they have given help.

Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.

And going even farther than our hope, they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us after the purpose of God.

With the result that I have been begging Titus that, as he had been the one to begin the work with you, so he should complete among you this grace also.

Now then, as you excel in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and all zeal and in your love to me, see to it that you excel in this grace also.

I don't mean to prescribe to you, but that the zeal of others may show you are as sincerely well-affected.

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

And I will give you my opinion in this matter; for this offering is fitting in your case, considering that you made a beginning before others, not only in the willingness to do something but also in actually doing something a year ago.

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 a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.

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,

But thanks be to God who has inspired in the heart of Titus the same zeal on your behalf that I have.

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

And I am sending with him that brother whose fame in the service of the gospel is spread through all the churches.

More than that, he is the one chosen by the churches to accompany me on my journey, in administering this gift of yours for the Lord's glory. And this has my full consent,

because I am on my guard in this, that no one should blame me, in respect to this bounty which I am administering.

looking to things that are right not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.

and we sent with them our brother, whom we proved in many things many times being diligent, and now much more diligent, by the great confidence that is toward you,

As for Titus, remember that he is a partner of mine, and is also my associate in labors for you. As for the other brothers, remember that they are delegates from the churches, men in whom Christ is glorified.

Wherefore show unto them the proof of your love, and of the rejoicing that we have of you, that the congregations may see it.

For, indeed, concerning the ministration that is for the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you,

for I know how ready you are, and am always boasting about you to the Macedonians, telling them that Greece has been ready for a year past; and your zeal has been a spur to the majority of them.

Nevertheless I am sending the brothers in order that my boast about you may not prove vain in this instance; so that, as I kept saying, you may be prepared.

Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting.

So I have thought that I must ask these brothers to visit you beforehand, and get your promised contribution ready in advance. I want it to be given of your bounty, not extorted from your covetousness.

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

But let each give according to the purpose of his heart; not grudgingly of under compulsion. It is a cheerful giver that God loves.

And God is able to give you an overflowing measure of every grace, so that all your wants of every kind may be supplied at all times, and you may give of your abundance to every good work;

as it is written, "He that dispersed abroad and hath given to the poor, his righteousness remaineth for ever."

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:

You yourselves will be enriched with all good things, that you may give ungrudgingly; and your gifts, of which I am the agent, will make men give thanks to God.

For the office of this ministration, not only supplieth the need of the saints: but also is abundant herein, that for this laudable ministering, thanks might be given to God of many,

seeing that through the proving of you by this ministration they glorify God for the obedience of your confession unto the gospel of Christ, and for the liberality of your contribution unto them and unto all;

Moreover, in their prayers for you they will be longing after you, because of the exceeding grace of God that is resting upon you.

Now I Paul, myself, appeal to you by the humble-heartedness and selflessness of Christ??aul who "in your presence is humble, but bold enough when he is absent"??2 I beseech you, and I say, do not make me show my boldness, when I come in the boldness with which I think I shall show my courage against some who think that I am walking on the low level of the flesh.

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, -

For, though we are still living in the world, it is no worldly warfare that we are waging.

For I pull down imaginations and every crag that lifts itself against the knowledge of God. And I carry every thought away into captivity and subjection to Christ;

Being ready to give punishment to whatever is against his authority, after you have made it clear that you are completely under his control.

Look these facts in the face. If any man is fully persuaded as regards himself that he belongs to Christ, let him consider again with himself, that just as he is Christ's, so also am I.

for even if also anything more abundantly I shall boast concerning our authority, that the Lord gave us for building up, and not for casting you down, I shall not be ashamed;

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

(for 'tis objected that my letters are weighty and powerful, but my bodily presence weak, and my preaching

Let such a man assure himself that my actions, when I am present, will be just like my words in my letters when I am absent.

For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

We, however, will not boast beyond measure but according to the measure of the area of ministry that God has assigned to us, which reaches even to you.

For we have no need to make ourselves seem more than we are, as if our authority did not come as far as to you: for we came even as far as you with the good news of Christ:

I am not "boasting beyond measure in the labors of others," but it is my hope that, as your faith goes on increasing among yourselves, by the enlargement of my appointed limits,