| International Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1From: Paul, an apostle of the Messiah Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother. To: God's church in Corinth, and to all the holy people throughout Achaia. | 1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God's will, and Timothy our brother: To God's church at Corinth, with all the saints who are throughout Achaia. |
| 2May grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, be yours! | 2Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. |
| 3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah! He is our merciful Father and the God of all comfort, | 3Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. |
| 4who comforts us in all our suffering, so that we may be able to comfort others in all their suffering, as we ourselves are being comforted by God. | 4He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God. |
| 5For as the Messiah's sufferings overflow into us, so also our comfort overflows through the Messiah. | 5For as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so through Christ our comfort also overflows. |
| 6If we suffer, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we are suffering. | 6If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is experienced in your endurance of the same sufferings that we suffer. |
| 7Our hope for you is unshaken, because we know that as you share our sufferings, you also share our comfort. | 7And our hope for you is firm, because we know that as you share in the sufferings, so you will share in the comfort. |
| 8For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, about the suffering we experienced in Asia. We were so crushed beyond our ability to endure that we even despaired of living. | 8For we don't want you to be unaware, brothers, of our affliction that took place in Asia: we were completely overwhelmed--beyond our strength--so that we even despaired of life. |
| 9In fact, we felt that we had received a death sentence so we would not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. | 9Indeed, we personally had a death sentence within ourselves, so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead. |
| 10He has rescued us from a terrible death, and he will continue to rescue us. Yes, he is the one on whom we have set our hope, and he will rescue us again, | 10He has delivered us from such a terrible death, and He will deliver us. We have put our hope in Him that He will deliver us again |
| 11as you also help us by your prayers for us. Then many people will thank God on our behalf because of the favor shown us through the prayers of many. | 11while you join in helping us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gift that came to us through the prayers of many. |
| 12For this is what we boast about: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world with pure motives and godly sincerity, without earthly wisdom but with God's grace—especially toward you. | 12For this is our confidence: The testimony of our conscience is that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you, with God-given sincerity and purity, not by fleshly wisdom but by God's grace. |
| 13For what we are writing you is nothing more than what you can read and also understand. I hope you will understand completely, | 13Now we are writing nothing to you other than what you can read and also understand. I hope you will understand completely-- |
| 14just as you have already understood us partially, so that on the Day of our Lord Jesus we can be your reason to boast, even as you are ours. | 14as you have partially understood us--that we are your reason for pride, as you are ours, in the day of our Lord Jesus. |
| 15Because I was confident, I planned to come to you first so you might receive a double blessing. | 15I planned with this confidence to come to you first, so you could have a double benefit, |
| 16I 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. | 16and to go on to Macedonia with your help, then come to you again from Macedonia and be given a start by you on my journey to Judea. |
| 17When I planned this, I did not do it lightly, did I? Are my plans so fickle that I can say "Yes" and "No" at the same time? | 17So when I planned this, was I irresponsible? Or what I plan, do I plan in a purely human way so that I say "Yes, yes" and "No, no" simultaneously? |
| 18As certainly as God is faithful, we haven't talked to you with mixed messages like that. | 18As God is faithful, our message to you is not "Yes and no." |
| 19For God's Son, Jesus the Messiah, who was preached among you by us—by me, Silvanus, and Timothy—was not "Yes" and "No." But with him it is always "Yes." | 19For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us--by me and Silvanus and Timothy--did not become "Yes and no"; on the contrary, a final "Yes" has come in Him. |
| 20For all God's promises are "Yes" in him. And so through him we can say "Amen," to the glory of God. | 20For every one of God's promises is "Yes" in Him. Therefore, the "Amen" is also spoken through Him by us for God's glory. |
| 21Now the one who makes us—and you as well—secure in union with the Messiah and has anointed us is God, | 21Now it is God who strengthens us, with you, in Christ and has anointed us. |
| 22who has placed his seal on us and has given us the Spirit in our hearts as a down payment. | 22He has also sealed us and given us the Spirit as a down payment in our hearts. |
| 23I call upon God as a witness on my behalf that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth. | 23I call on God as a witness, on my life, that it was to spare you that I did not come to Corinth. |
| 24It is not that we are trying to rule over your faith, but rather to work with you for your joy, because you have been standing firm in the faith. | 24I do not mean that we have control of your faith, but we are workers with you for your joy, because you stand by faith. |
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