And I have written this very letter to you, that coming I may not have grief from those from whom I ought to have joy; trusting in you all that my joy is that of you all.

For out of much tribulation and distress of heart I wrote to you, with many tears; not that ye may be grieved, but that ye may know the love which I have very abundantly towards you.

But if any one has grieved, he has grieved, not me, but in part (that I may not overcharge you) all of you.

so that on the contrary ye should rather shew grace and encourage, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with excessive grief.

For to this end also I have written, that I might know, by putting you to the test, if as to everything ye are obedient.

that we might not have Satan get an advantage against us, for we are not ignorant of his thoughts.

For we are a sweet odour of Christ to God, in the saved and in those that perish:

not that we are competent of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, but our competency is of God;

(But if the ministry of death, in letters, graven in stones, began with glory, so that the children of Israel could not fix their eyes on the face of Moses, on account of the glory of his face, a glory which is annulled;

For also that which was glorified is not glorified in this respect, on account of the surpassing glory.

For if that annulled was introduced with glory, much rather that which abides subsists in glory.

and not according as Moses put a veil on his own face, so that the children of Israel should not fix their eyes on the end of that annulled.

But if also our gospel is veiled, it is veiled in those that are lost;

in whom the god of this world has blinded the thoughts of the unbelieving, so that the radiancy of the glad tidings of the glory of the Christ, who is the image of God, should not shine forth for them.

Because it is the God who spoke that out of darkness light should shine who has shone in our hearts for the shining forth of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassingness of the power may be of God, and not from us:

always bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our body;

for we who live are always delivered unto death on account of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh;

so that death works in us, but life in you.

knowing that he who has raised the Lord Jesus shall raise us also with Jesus, and shall present us with you.

For all things are for your sakes, that the grace abounding through the many may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

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 tabernacle house be destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

For indeed we who are in the tabernacle groan, being burdened; while yet we do not wish to be unclothed, but clothed, that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

Now he that has wrought us for this very thing is God, who also has given to us the earnest of the Spirit.

Therefore we are always confident, and know that while present in the body we are absent from the Lord,

For we must all be manifested before the judgment-seat of the Christ, that each may receive the things done in the body, according to those he has done, whether it be good or evil.

Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord we persuade men, but have been manifested to God, and I hope also that we have been manifested in your consciences.

For we do not again commend ourselves to you, but we are giving to you occasion of boast in our behalf, that ye may have such with those boasting in countenance, and not in heart.

For the love of the Christ constrains us, having judged this: that one died for all, then all have died;

and he died for all, that they who live should no longer live to themselves, but to him who died for them and has been raised.

So that we henceforth know no one according to flesh; but if even we have known Christ according to flesh, yet now we know him thus no longer.

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 the world to himself, not reckoning to them their offences; and putting in us the word of that reconciliation.

Him who knew not sin he has made sin for us, that we might become God's righteousness in him.

But as fellow-workmen, we also beseech that ye receive not the grace of God in vain:

giving no manner of offence in anything, that the ministry be not blamed;

I do not speak for condemnation, for I have already said that ye are in our hearts, to die together, and live together.

But he who encourages those that are brought low, even God, encouraged us by the coming of Titus;

and not by his coming only, but also through the encouragement with which he was encouraged as to you; relating to us your ardent desire, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I the more rejoiced.

For if also I grieved you in the letter, I do not regret it, if even I have regretted it; for I see that that letter, if even it were only for a time, grieved you.

Now I rejoice, not that ye have been grieved, but that ye have been grieved to repentance; for ye have been grieved according to God, that in nothing ye might be injured by us.

So then, if also I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of him that injured, nor for the sake of him that was injured, but for the sake of our diligent zeal for you being manifested to you before God.

I rejoice that in everything I am confident as to you.

that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty has abounded to the riches of their free-hearted liberality.

So that we begged Titus that, according as he had before begun, so he would also complete as to you this grace also;

but even as ye abound in every way, in faith, and word, and knowledge, and all diligence, and in love from you to us, that ye may abound in this grace also.

For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that for your sakes he, being rich, became poor, in order that ye by his poverty might be enriched.

But now also complete the doing of it; so that as there was the readiness to be willing, so also to complete out of what ye have.

For it is not in order that there may be ease for others, and for you distress,

but on the principle of equality; in the present time your abundance for their lack, that their abundance may be for your lack, so that there should be equality.

avoiding this, that any one should blame us in this abundance which is administered by us;

For I know your readiness, which I boast of as respects you to Macedonians, that Achaia is prepared since a year ago, and the zeal reported of you has stimulated the mass of the brethren.

But I have sent the brethren, in order that our boasting about you may not be made void in this respect, in order that, as I have said, ye may be prepared;

lest haply, if Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we, that we say not ye, may be put to shame in this confidence.

I thought it necessary therefore to beg the brethren that they would come to you, and complete beforehand your fore-announced blessing, that this may be ready thus as blessing, and not as got out of you.

But this is true, he that sows sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he that sows in the spirit of blessing shall reap also in blessing:

But God is able to make every gracious gift abound towards you, that, having in every way always all-sufficiency, ye may abound to every good work:

Now he that supplies seed to the sower and bread for eating shall supply and make abundant your sowing, and increase the fruits of your righteousness:

but I beseech that present I may not be bold with the confidence with which I think to be daring towards some who think of us as walking according to flesh.

overthrowing reasonings and every high thing that lifts itself up against the knowledge of God, and leading captive every thought into the obedience of the Christ;

Do ye look at what concerns appearance? If any one has confidence in himself that he is of Christ, let him think this again in himself, that even as he is of Christ, so also are we.

that I may not seem as if I was frightening you by letters:

Let such a one think this, that such as we are in word by letters when absent, such also present in deed.

to announce the glad tidings to that which is beyond you, not to be boasting in another's rule of things made ready to hand.

But he that boasts, let him boast in the Lord.

For not he that commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.

Would that ye would bear with me in a little folly; but indeed bear with me.

For if indeed he that comes preaches another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or ye get a different Spirit, which ye have not got, or a different glad tidings, which ye have not received, ye might well bear with it.

For I reckon that in nothing I am behind those who are in surpassing degree apostles.

Have I committed sin, abasing myself in order that ye might be exalted, because I gratuitously announced to you the glad tidings of God?

The truth of Christ is in me that this boasting shall not be stopped as to me in the regions of Achaia.

But what I do, I will also do, that I may cut off the opportunity of those wishing for an opportunity, that wherein they boast they may be found even as we.

Again I say, Let not any one think me to be a fool; but if otherwise, receive me then even as a fool, that I also may boast myself some little.

Besides those things that are without, the crowd of cares pressing on me daily, the burden of all the assemblies.

The God and Father of the Lord Jesus knows he who is blessed for ever that I do not lie.

that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable things said which it is not allowed to man to utter.

And that I might not be exalted by the exceeding greatness of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn for the flesh, a messenger of Satan that he might buffet me, that I might not be exalted.

For this I thrice besought the Lord that it might depart from me.

And he said to me, My grace suffices thee; for my power is perfected in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather boast in my weaknesses, that the power of the Christ may dwell upon me.

For in what is it that ye have been inferior to the other assemblies, unless that I myself have not been in laziness a charge upon you? Forgive me this injury.

Ye have long been supposing that we excuse ourselves to you: we speak before God in Christ; and all things, beloved, for your building up.

For I fear lest perhaps coming I find you not such as I wish, and that I be found by you such as ye do not wish: lest there might be strifes, jealousies, angers, contentions, evil speakings, whisperings, puffings up, disturbances;

lest my God should humble me as to you when I come again, and that I shall grieve over many of those who have sinned before, and have not repented as to the uncleanness and fornication and licentiousness which they have practised.

I have declared beforehand, and I say beforehand as present the second time, and now absent, to those that have sinned before, and to all the rest, that if I come again I will not spare.

examine your own selves if ye be in the faith; prove your own selves: do ye not recognise yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you, unless indeed ye be reprobates?

Now I hope that ye will know that we are not reprobates.

But we pray to God that ye may do nothing evil; not that we may appear approved, but that ye may do what is right, and we be as reprobates.

On this account I write these things being absent, that being present I may not use severity according to the authority which the Lord has given me for building up, and not for overthrowing.

who gave himself for our sins, so that he should deliver us out of the present evil world, according to the will of our God and Father;

I wonder that ye thus quickly change, from him that called you in Christ's grace, to a different gospel,

which is not another one; but there are some that trouble you, and desire to pervert the glad tidings of the Christ.

But I let you know, brethren, as to the glad tidings which were announced by me, that they are not according to man.

For ye have heard what was my conversation formerly in Judaism, that I excessively persecuted the assembly of God, and ravaged it;

was pleased to reveal his Son in me, that I may announce him as glad tidings among the nations, immediately I took not counsel with flesh and blood,

only they were hearing that he who persecuted us formerly now announces the glad tidings of the faith which formerly he ravaged:

and it was on account of the false brethren brought in surreptitiously, who came in surreptitiously to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage;

to whom we yielded in subjection not even for an hour, that the truth of the glad tidings might remain with you.

but, on the contrary, seeing that the glad tidings of the uncircumcision were confided to me, even as to Peter that of the circumcision,

(for he that wrought in Peter for the apostleship of the circumcision wrought also in me towards the Gentiles,)