| English Standard Version | New Living Translation |
| 1Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. | 1As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it. |
| 2For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. | 2For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation. Paul’s Hardships |
| 3We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, | 3We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry. |
| 4but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, | 4In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. |
| 5beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; | 5We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food. |
| 6by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; | 6We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love. |
| 7by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; | 7We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense. |
| 8through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; | 8We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. |
| 9as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; | 9We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed. |
| 10as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything. | 10Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything. |
| 11We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open. | 11Oh, dear Corinthian friends! We have spoken honestly with you, and our hearts are open to you. |
| 12You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. | 12There is no lack of love on our part, but you have withheld your love from us. |
| 13In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also. | 13I am asking you to respond as if you were my own children. Open your hearts to us! The Temple of the Living God |
| 14Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? | 14Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? |
| 15What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? | 15What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil ? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? |
| 16What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. | 16And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. |
| 17Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, | 17Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the LORD. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. |
| 18and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” | 18And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty. ” |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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