2 Corinthians, 4
1. Such by God's mercy is our ministry, and therefore we do not waver
1. Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart.
2. but have renounced all shameful secrecy. It is not our way to be devious, or to falsify the word of God; instead, in God's sight we commend ourselves to every human being with a conscience by showing the truth openly.
2. We have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways; we refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
3. If our gospel seems to be veiled at all, it is so to those who are on the way to destruction,
3. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing.
4. the unbelievers whose minds have been blinded by the god of this world, so that they cannot see shining the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
4. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the likeness of God.
5. It is not ourselves that we are proclaiming, but Christ Jesus as the Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.
5. For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.
6. It is God who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' that has shone into our hearts to enlighten them with the knowledge of God's glory, the glory on the face of Christ.
6. For it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
7. But we hold this treasure in pots of earthenware, so that the immensity of the power is God's and not our own.
7. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us.
8. We are subjected to every kind of hardship, but never distressed; we see no way out but we never despair;
8. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair;
9. we are pursued but never cut off; knocked down, but still have some life in us;
9. persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;
10. always we carry with us in our body the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus, too, may be visible in our body.
10. always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.
11. Indeed, while we are still alive, we are continually being handed over to death, for the sake of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus, too, may be visible in our mortal flesh.
11. For while we live we are always being given up to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
12. In us, then, death is at work; in you, life.
12. So death is at work in us, but life in you.
13. But as we have the same spirit of faith as is described in scripture -- I believed and therefore I spoke -we, too, believe and therefore we, too, speak,
13. Since we have the same spirit of faith as he had who wrote, "I believed, and so I spoke," we too believe, and so we speak,
14. realising that he who raised up the Lord Jesus will raise us up with Jesus in our turn, and bring us to himself -- and you as well.
14. knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence.
15. You see, everything is for your benefit, so that as grace spreads, so, to the glory of God, thanksgiving may also overflow among more and more people.
15. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
16. That is why we do not waver; indeed, though this outer human nature of ours may be falling into decay, at the same time our inner human nature is renewed day by day.
16. So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed every day.
17. The temporary, light burden of our hardships is earning us for ever an utterly incomparable, eternal weight of glory,
17. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,
18. since what we aim for is not visible but invisible. Visible things are transitory, but invisible things eternal.
18. because we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
