2 Corinthians, 1

1. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy [our] brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia:

1. Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy, our brother, to the church of God in Corinth, and to all the saints in the whole of Achaia.

2. Grace [be] to you and peace from God our Father, and [from] the Lord Jesus Christ.

2. May you receive grace and peace from God our Father and from Christ Jesus, the Lord.

3. Blessed [be] God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;

3. Blessed be God, the Father of Christ Jesus, our Lord, the all-merciful Father and the God of all comfort!

4. Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

4. He encourages us in all our trials, so that we may also encourage those in any trial, with the same comfort that we receive from God.

5. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.

5. For whenever the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so, through Christ, a great comfort also overflows.

6. And whether we be afflicted, [it is] for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, [it is] for your consolation and salvation.

6. So, if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we receive comfort it is also for you. You may experience the same comfort when you come to endure the same sufferings we endure.

7. And our hope of you [is] stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so [shall ye be] also of the consolation.

7. Our hope for you is most firm; just as you share in our sufferings, so shall you also share in our consolation.

8. For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:

8. Brothers and sisters, we want you to know some of the trials we experienced in the province of Asia. We were crushed; it was too much; it was more than we could bear and we had already lost all hope of coming through alive.

9. But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:

9. We felt branded for death, but this happened that we might no longer rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.

10. Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver [us];

10. He freed us from such a deadly peril and will continue to do so. We trust he will continue protecting us,

11. Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift [bestowed] upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf.

11. but you must help us with your prayers. When such a favor is obtained by the intercession of many, so will there be many to give thanks to God on our behalf.

12. For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.

12. There is something we are proud of: our conscience tells us that we have lived in this world with the openness and sincerity that comes from God. We have been guided, not by human motives, but by the grace of God, especially in relation to you.

13. For we write none other things unto you, than what ye read or acknowledge; and I trust ye shall acknowledge even to the end;

13. There were no hidden intentions in my letter, but only what you can read and understand.

14. As also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as ye also [are] ours in the day of the Lord Jesus.

14. I trust that what you now only partly realize, you will come to understand fully, and so be proud of us, as we shall also be proud of you on the Day of the Lord Jesus.

15. And in this confidence I was minded to come unto you before, that ye might have a second benefit;

15. With this assurance, I wanted to go and visit you first, and this would have been a double blessing for you.

16. And to pass by you into Macedonia, and to come again out of Macedonia unto you, and of you to be brought on my way toward Judaea.

16. And from there I thought of going to Macedonia and then, from Macedonia, of coming back to you, that you might send me on my way to Judea.

17. 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?

17. Have I planned this without thinking at all? Or do I change my decisions on the spur of the moment, so that I am between No and Yes?

18. But [as] God [is] true, our word toward you was not yea and nay.

18. God knows that our dealing with you is not Yes and No,

19. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, [even] by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea.

19. just as the Son of God, Christ Jesus, whom we - Silvanus, Timothy and I - preach to you, was not Yes and No; with him it was simply Yes.

20. For all the promises of God in him [are] yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

20. In him all the promises of God have come to be a Yes, and we also say in his name: Amen! giving thanks to God.

21. Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, [is] God;

21. God himself has anointed us and strengthens us with you to serve Christ;

22. Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

22. he has marked us with his own seal in a first outpouring of the Spirit in our hearts.

23. Moreover I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth.

23. God knows, and I swear to you by my own life, that if I did not return to Corinth, it was because I wanted to spare you.

24. Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.

24. I do not wish to lord it over your faith, but to contribute to your happiness; for regarding faith, you already stand firm.