who out of so great a death did deliver us, and doth deliver, in whom we have hoped that even yet He will deliver;

For our glorying is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and sincerity of God, not in fleshly wisdom, but in the grace of God, we did conduct ourselves in the world, and more abundantly toward you;

as also ye did acknowledge us in part, that we are your glorying, even as ye also are ours, in the day of our Lord Jesus.

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?

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, he who has been preached by us among you (by me and Silvanus and Timotheus), did not become yea and nay, but yea is in him.

and He who is confirming you with us into Christ, and did anoint us, is God,

But I call upon God [as] witness against my life, that [in order to] spare you, I did not come again to Corinth.

This is the very reason I wrote you, so that when I did come I might not be made sad by those who should have made me happy. For I had confidence that all of you would share the joy that I have.

For I was in great trouble and distress of mind when I wrote you, and I shed many tears as I did it, yet it was not to hurt your feelings, but to make you realize the extraordinary affection I have for you.

But if anyone has caused grief, he didn't cause me any grief. To some extent I don't want to emphasize this too much it has affected all of you.

For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things.

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,

my spirit could not rest because I did not find my brother Titus there; so saying goodbye to them, I left for Macedonia.

and are not like Moses, who had to put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from staring at it as [its] radiance was completely fading away. [Note: The analogy continues by suggesting that the Old Agreement was fading away like the splendor on Moses' face did].

Because of this, having this ministration, according as we did receive kindness, we do not faint,

but did renounce for ourselves the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor deceitfully using the word of God, but by the manifestation of the truth recommending ourselves unto every conscience of men, before God;

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;

because it is God who said, Out of darkness light is to shine, who did shine in our hearts, for the enlightening of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

We always carry around in our [physical] bodies the [threat of] dying, as Jesus did [i.e., the apostles were constantly exposed to impending danger and death], so that the life of Jesus [i.e., His virtue, courage, faithfulness, etc.] may be demonstrated in our bodies [i.e., in the way we live] also.

But having the same spirit of faith, according to that which is written, I believed, and therefore did I speak; we also believe, and therefore also we speak;

knowing that He who did raise up the Lord Jesus, us also through Jesus shall raise up, and shall present with you,

And He who did work us to this self-same thing is God, who also did give to us the earnest of the Spirit;

for all of us it behoveth to be manifested before the tribunal of the Christ, that each one may receive the things done through the body, in reference to the things that he did, whether good or evil;

For if I did go crazy, it was for God's glory; and if I am keeping my head cool, it is for your good.

So from now on we regard no one from a human point of view [according to worldly standards and values]. Though we have known Christ from a human point of view, now we no longer know Him in this way.

so that if any one is in Christ -- he is a new creature; the old things did pass away, lo, become new have the all things.

And the all things are of God, who reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and did give to us the ministration of the reconciliation,

Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

for him who did not know sin, in our behalf He did make sin, that we may become the righteousness of God in him.

(for he saith, At an acceptable time I hearkened unto thee, And in a day of salvation did I succor thee: behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation):

receive us; no one did we wrong; no one did we waste; no one did we defraud;

but He who is comforting the cast-down -- God -- He did comfort us in the presence of Titus;

and not only in his presence, but also in the comfort with which he was comforted over you, declaring to us your longing desire, your lamentation, your zeal for me, so that the more I did rejoice,

For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season.

yet I am glad now, not because you were hurt and made sorry, but because your sorrow led to repentance [and you turned back to God]; for you felt a grief such as God meant you to feel, so that you might not suffer loss in anything on our account.

for, lo, this same thing -- your being made sorry toward God -- how much diligence it doth work in you! but defence, but displeasure, but fear, but longing desire, but zeal, but revenge; in every thing ye did approve yourselves to be pure in the matter.

Wherefore, though I wrote unto you, I did it not for his cause that had done the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear unto you.

because of this we have been comforted in your comfort, and more abundantly the more did we rejoice in the joy of Titus, that his spirit hath been refreshed from you all;

because if anything to him in your behalf I have boasted, I was not put to shame; but as all things in truth we did speak to you, so also our boasting before Titus became truth,

and his tender affection is more abundantly toward you, remembering the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye did receive him;

because in much trial of tribulation the abundance of their joy, and their deep poverty, did abound to the riches of their liberality;

For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave voluntarily,

And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.

so that we exhorted Titus, that, according as he did begin before, so also he may finish to you also this favour,

and an opinion in this do I give: for this to you is expedient, who not only to do, but also to will, did begin before -- a year ago,

but to equalize the burden, and in the present situation to have your plenty make up for what they need, so that some day their plenty may make up for what you need, and so things may be made equal??15 as the Scripture says, "The man who got much did not have too much, and the man who got little did not have too little."

according as it hath been written, 'He who did gather much, had nothing over; and he who did gather little, had no lack.'

We did this as a precaution so that no one should blame us in regard to this generous gift we are administering.

for I have known your readiness of mind, which in your behalf I boast of to Macedonians, that Achaia hath been prepared a year ago, and the zeal of you did stir up the more part,

and we in regard to the unmeasured things will not boast ourselves, but after the measure of the line that the God of measure did appoint to us -- to reach even unto you;

for not as not reaching to you do we stretch ourselves overmuch, for even unto you did we come in the good news of the Christ,

for I am zealous for you with zeal of God, for I did betroth you to one husband, a pure virgin, to present to Christ,

and I fear, lest, as the serpent did beguile Eve in his subtilty, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in the Christ;

For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or if ye receive a different spirit, which ye did not receive, or a different gospel, which ye did not accept, ye do well to bear with him .

And though I am rude in speech, yet I am not in knowledge; but this did we in every respect manifest to you in all things.

Or did I commit a sin in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I preached to you the gospel of God for nought?

other assemblies I did rob, having taken wages, for your ministration;

And being present with you and lacking, I did not lazily burden any one, (for the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied what I lacked,) and in everything I kept myself from being a burden to you, and will keep myself.

Did not even Satan marvelously transform himself into an angel of light?

from Jews five times forty stripes save one I did receive;

However, if I did want to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be telling the truth. But I am not going to do it in order to keep anyone from thinking more of me than what he sees and hears about me.

Concerning this thing thrice the Lord did I call upon, that it might depart from me,

I have become a fool -- boasting; ye -- ye did compel me; for I ought by you to have been commended, for in nothing was I behind the very chiefest apostles -- even if I am nothing.

For in what respect were you treated as inferior to the rest of the churches, except [for the fact] that I did not burden you [with my financial support]? Forgive me [for doing you] this injustice!

But be it so, I did not burden you: nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile.

Did I make a gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you?

I desired Titus, and with him I sent a brother. Did Titus make a gain of you? walked we not in the same spirit? walked we not in the same steps?

lest again having come, my God may humble me in regard to you, and I may bewail many of those having sinned before, and not having reformed concerning the uncleanness, and whoredom, and lasciviousness, that they did practise.

I have already warned those who have sinned in the past and all the rest as well, and I warn them now even though I am absent [from you] as I did when I was with you the second time, that if I come back I will not spare anyone,

because of this, these things -- being absent -- I write, that being present, I may not treat any sharply, according to the authority that the Lord did give me for building up, and not for casting down.