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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 the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God in Corinth, together with all his holy people throughout Achaia: |
2May grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, be yours! | 2Grace and peace to you 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 be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion 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. | 4who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with 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 just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. |
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 distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings 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 just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our 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. | 8We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. |
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 felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on 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 deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, |
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. | 11as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to 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. | 12Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on 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, | 13For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that, |
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 understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus. |
15Because I was confident, I planned to come to you first so you might receive a double blessing. | 15Because I was confident of this, I wanted to visit you first so that you might benefit twice. |
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. | 16I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia and to come back to you from Macedonia, and then to have you send me on my way 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? | 17Was I fickle when I intended to do this? Or do I make my plans in a worldly manner so that in the same breath I say both "Yes, yes" and "No, no"? |
18As certainly as God is faithful, we haven't talked to you with mixed messages like that. | 18But as surely as 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 Silas and Timothy--was not "Yes" and "No," but in him it has always been "Yes." |
20For all God's promises are "Yes" in him. And so through him we can say "Amen," to the glory of God. | 20For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God. |
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 makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, |
22who has placed his seal on us and has given us the Spirit in our hearts as a down payment. | 22set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. |
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 God as my witness--and I stake my life on it--that it was in order to spare you that I did not return 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. | 24Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm. |
The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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