| International Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1This will be the third time I am coming to you. "Every accusation must be verified by two or three witnesses." | 1This is the third time I am coming to visit you. By the testimony of two or three witnesses every matter will be established. |
| 2I have already warned those who sinned previously and all the rest. Although I am absent now, I am warning them as I did on my second visit: If I come back, I will not spare you, | 2I said before when I was present the second time and now, though absent, I say again to those who sinned previously and to all the rest, that if I come again, I will not spare anyone, |
| 3since you want proof that the Messiah is speaking through me. He is not weak in dealing with you but is making his power felt among you. | 3since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me. He is not weak toward you but is powerful among you. |
| 4Though he was crucified in weakness, he lives by God's power. We are weak with him, but by God's power we will live for you. | 4For indeed he was crucified by reason of weakness, but he lives because of God's power. For we also are weak in him, but we will live together with him, because of God's power toward you. |
| 5Keep examining yourselves to see whether you are continuing in the faith. Test yourselves! You know, don't you, that Jesus the Messiah lives in you? Could it be that you are failing the test? | 5Put yourselves to the test to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize regarding yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you--unless, indeed, you fail the test! |
| 6I hope you will realize that we haven't failed our test. | 6And I hope that you will realize that we have not failed the test! |
| 7We pray to God that you will not do anything wrong—not to show that we have not failed the test, but so that you may do what is right, even if we seem to have failed. | 7Now we pray to God that you may not do anything wrong, not so that we may appear to have passed the test, but so that you may do what is right even if we may appear to have failed the test. |
| 8For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. | 8For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the sake of the truth. |
| 9We are glad when we are weak and you are strong. That is what we are praying for—your maturity. | 9For we rejoice whenever we are weak, but you are strong. And we pray for this: that you may become fully qualified. |
| 10For this reason I am writing this while I am away from you: When I come I do not want to be severe in using the authority the Lord gave me to build you up and not to tear you down. | 10Because of this I am writing these things while absent, so that when I arrive I may not have to deal harshly with you by using my authority--the Lord gave it to me for building up, not for tearing down! |
| 11Finally, brothers, goodbye. Keep on growing to maturity. Keep listening to my appeals. Continue agreeing with each other and living in peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you. | 11Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice, set things right, be encouraged, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you. |
| 12Greet one another with a holy kiss. | 12Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you. |
| 13All the saints greet you. | 13The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. |
| 14May the grace of the Lord Jesus the Messiah, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you! | 14[[EMPTY]] |
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