For just as Christ’s sufferings are ours in abundance [as they overflow to His followers], so also our comfort [our reassurance, our encouragement, our consolation] is abundant through Christ [it is truly more than enough to endure what we must].

Let me have your cooperation in prayer, so that many a soul may render thanks to him on my behalf for the boon which many have been the means of him bestowing on myself.

Relying on this I meant to visit you first, to let you have a double delight;

I planned to leave you in order to go to Macedonia, and then come back to you from Macedonia, and let you send me on to Judea.

For all the promises of God, in him are "Yea": and are in him "Amen," unto the laud of God through us.

I wrote to you out of great sorrow and anguish of heart along with many tears not to make you sad but to let you know how much love I have for you.

Let it be enough for such a man to have undergone the punishment which the church put on him;

but as we lay aside the veil, the divine light gradually informs the mind, according as we attend to that spiritual sense, which points out the Lord.

In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

But we have this precious treasure [the good news about salvation] in [unworthy] earthen vessels [of human frailty], so that the grandeur and surpassing greatness of the power will be [shown to be] from God [His sufficiency] and not from ourselves.

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

(for I have to lead my life in faith, without seeing him):

Wherefore also let us seek the honour, whether being at home, whether being absent, to be pleasing to him.

Wherefore, henceforth I have no regard to any man for his external appearance: for tho' I formerly look'd for worldly grandeur in the Messiah, yet now I see things in another light.

Invested then with such a commission, I beseech you let not the offers of divine favour be made to you in vain.

Let us give no man occasion of evil, that in our office be found no fault:

but in all things let us behave ourselves as the ministers of God. In much patience, in afflictions, in necessity, in anguish,

but for an answering recompense, (I speak as to children,) let your heart also expand itself.

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

and what fellowship to light with darkness? and what concord to Christ with Belial? or what part to a believer with an unbeliever?

For which cause, Come out from among them, and be separate, says the Lord, and let no unclean thing come near you; and I will take you for myself,

Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Let your hearts be open to us: we have done no man wrong, no man has been damaged by us, we have made no profit out of any man,

Now I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because your grief led to repentance. For you were grieved as God willed, so that you didn’t experience any loss from us.

So my letter was written to you, not on account of the offender nor for the sake of the injured party, but in order to let you realize before God how seriously you do care for me.

But we desire to let you know, brethren, of the grace of God which has been bestowed on the Churches of Macedonia;

In spite of their terrible ordeal of suffering, their abundant joy and deep poverty have led them to be abundantly generous.

and begged me most earnestly, of their own accord, to let them share in the support of their fellow-Christians.

This led us to urge Titus that, as he had previously been the one who commenced the work, so he should now go and complete among you this act of beneficence also.

let your abundance be at this time a supply to their want; that their abundance also may be a supply to your want, that there may be an equality,

We have sent with him that brother whose laud is in the gospel throughout all the congregations:

So let them have proof of how you can love, and of my reasons for being proud of you; it will be a proof read by the churches.

Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

I who am a person of a mean presence, when among you, but exert myself upon your account, when absent; I Paul intreat you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, not to let me exert that authority,

We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ,

Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ's, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ's, even so are we Christ's.

Let it not seem as if I wanted to frighten you by my letters.

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

For we cannot find in our hearts to make ourselves of the number of them, or to compare ourselves to them, which laud themselves. Nevertheless, while they measure themselves with themselves, and compare themselves with themselves, they understand nought.

But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

But I am afraid lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds may be led astray from the sincerity and the purity of [devotion] to Christ.

Did I do wrong in taking a lowly place to let you have an exalted one, in that I preached the good news about God to you without accepting any pay?

And when I was present with you, and was in need, I let no man be responsible for me; for the brothers, when they came from Macedonia, gave me whatever was needed; and in everything I kept myself from being a trouble to you, and I will go on doing so.

As the true word of Christ is in me, I will let no man take from me this my cause of pride in the country of Achaia.

Why? because I have no love for you? let God be judge.

And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

I say again, Let no man think me a fool; if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a little.

I am quite ashamed to say I was not equal to that sort of thing! But let them vaunt as they please, I am equal to them (mind, this is the role of a fool!).

Are they Christ's servants? (I speak being light-headed) I above; in toils more abundant, in blows more excessively, in watchings more abundantly, in deaths often.

Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is led astray into sin, and I am not aflame with indignation?

In the city of Damascus, the governor of the people under king Aretas, laid watch in the city of the Damascenes, and would have caught me,

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

I must boast, although it does not do any good. Let's talk about visions and revelations from the Lord.

If however I should choose to boast, I should not be a fool for so doing, for I should be speaking the truth. But I forbear, lest any one should be led to estimate me more highly than what his own eyes attest, or more highly than what he hears from my lips.

For what is there in which you were made less than the other churches, but in the one thing that I was not a trouble to you? Let me have forgiveness for this wrong.

But let [it] be. I have not been a burden to you, but [because I] was crafty, I took you by cunning.

I desire before God that ye do none evil, not that we should seem commendable: but that ye should do that which is honest, and let us be counted as lewd persons.

Let this be my last word, brothers; be glad; be complete; be comforted; be of the same mind; be at peace with one another: and the God of love and peace will be with you.