| New International Version | NET Bible |
| 1As God's co-workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. | 1Now because we are fellow workers, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain. |
| 2For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation. | 2For he says, "I heard you at the acceptable time, and in the day of salvation I helped you." Look, now is the acceptable time; look, now is the day of salvation! |
| 3We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. | 3We do not give anyone an occasion for taking an offense in anything, so that no fault may be found with our ministry. |
| 4Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; | 4But as God's servants, we have commended ourselves in every way, with great endurance, in persecutions, in difficulties, in distresses, |
| 5in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; | 5in beatings, in imprisonments, in riots, in troubles, in sleepless nights, in hunger, |
| 6in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; | 6by purity, by knowledge, by patience, by benevolence, by the Holy Spirit, by genuine love, |
| 7in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; | 7by truthful teaching, by the power of God, with weapons of righteousness both for the right hand and for the left, |
| 8through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; | 8through glory and dishonor, through slander and praise; regarded as impostors, and yet true; |
| 9known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; | 9as unknown, and yet well-known; as dying and yet--see!--we continue to live; as those who are scourged and yet not executed; |
| 10sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything. | 10as sorrowful, but always rejoicing, as poor, but making many rich, as having nothing, and yet possessing everything. |
| 11We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. | 11We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart has been opened wide to you. |
| 12We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. | 12Our affection for you is not restricted, but you are restricted in your affections for us. |
| 13As a fair exchange--I speak as to my children--open wide your hearts also. | 13Now as a fair exchange--I speak as to my children--open wide your hearts to us also. |
| 14Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? | 14Do not become partners with those who do not believe, for what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship does light have with darkness? |
| 15What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? | 15And what agreement does Christ have with Beliar? Or what does a believer share in common with an unbeliever? |
| 16What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people." | 16And what mutual agreement does the temple of God have with idols? For we are the temple of the living God, just as God said, "I will live in them and will walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people." |
| 17Therefore, "Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you." | 17Therefore "come out from their midst, and be separate," says the Lord, "and touch no unclean thing, and I will welcome you, |
| 18And, "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." | 18and I will be a father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters," says the All-Powerful Lord. |
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