2 Corinthians, 5

1. For we are well aware that when the tent that houses us on earth is folded up, there is a house for us from God, not made by human hands but everlasting, in the heavens.

1. For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

2. And in this earthly state we do indeed groan,

2. Here indeed we groan, and long to put on our heavenly dwelling,

3. longing to put on our heavenly home over the present one; if indeed we are to be found clothed rather than stripped bare.

3. so that by putting it on we may not be found naked.

4. Yes, indeed, in this present tent, we groan under the burden, not that we want to be stripped of our covering, but because we want to be covered with a second garment on top, so that what is mortal in us may be swallowed up by life.

4. For while we are still in this tent, we sigh with anxiety; not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

5. It is God who designed us for this very purpose, and he has given us the Spirit as a pledge.

5. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

6. We are always full of confidence, then, realising that as long as we are at home in the body we are exiled from the Lord,

6. So we are always of good courage; we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord,

7. guided by faith and not yet by sight;

7. for we walk by faith, not by sight.

8. we are full of confidence, then, and long instead to be exiled from the body and to be at home with the Lord.

8. We are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

9. And so whether at home or exiled, we make it our ambition to please him.

9. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.

10. For at the judgement seat of Christ we are all to be seen for what we are, so that each of us may receive what he has deserved in the body, matched to whatever he has done, good or bad.

10. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive good or evil, according to what he has done in the body.

11. And so it is with the fear of the Lord always in mind that we try to win people over. But God sees us for what we are, and I hope your consciences do too.

11. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men; but what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience.

12. Again we are saying this not to commend ourselves to you, but simply to give you the opportunity to take pride in us, so that you may have an answer for those who take pride in appearances and not inner reality.

12. We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to be proud of us, so that you may be able to answer those who pride themselves on a man's position and not on his heart.

13. If we have been unreasonable, it was for God; if reasonable, for you.

13. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.

14. For the love of Christ overwhelms us when we consider that if one man died for all, then all have died;

14. For the love of Christ controls us, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died.

15. his purpose in dying for all humanity was that those who live should live not any more for themselves, but for him who died and was raised to life.

15. And he died for all, that those who live might live no longer for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

16. From now onwards, then, we will not consider anyone by human standards: even if we were once familiar with Christ according to human standards, we do not know him in that way any longer.

16. From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once regarded Christ from a human point of view, we regard him thus no longer.

17. So for anyone who is in Christ, there is a new creation: the old order is gone and a new being is there to see.

17. Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come.

18. It is all God's work; he reconciled us to himself through Christ and he gave us the ministry of reconciliation.

18. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;

19. I mean, God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not holding anyone's faults against them, but entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

19. that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

20. So we are ambassadors for Christ; it is as though God were urging you through us, and in the name of Christ we appeal to you to be reconciled to God.

20. So we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

21. For our sake he made the sinless one a victim for sin, so that in him we might become the uprightness of God.

21. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.