ULT 2COR book

2CO EN_ULT en_English_ltr Wed Jan 18 2023 08:34:15 GMT-0600 (Central Standard Time) tc

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God that is in Corinth, and to all the saints being in the whole of Achaia. 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, 4 the one comforting us in all our affliction so that we are able to comfort the ones in every affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ abound toward us, in the same way also our comfort abounds through Christ. 6 But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort which you are experiencing in endurance of the same sufferings that we ourselves also suffer. 7 And our hope concerning you is firm, knowing that as you are partakers of the sufferings, in the same way, also of the comfort.

8 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning the tribulation having happened to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our ability, so that we despaired even of life. 9 Indeed, we ourselves have had within ourselves the sentence of death so that we would not be having become confident in ourselves, but in God, the one raising the dead, 10 who rescued us from so great a death, and he will rescue us—on whom we have set our hope that he will rescue us yet again, 11 you also joining in helping in supplication on our behalf—so that thanks may be given on our behalf from many faces for the gracious gift to us through many.

12 For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience, that we conducted ourselves in the world in holiness[fn] and sincerity of God, and not in fleshly wisdom, but in the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you. 13 For we write no other things to you but than what you read or also understand, but I hope that you will understand to the end— 14 just as you also understood us in part—so that we are your boasting, just as you also are ours, on the day of our Lord Jesus.

15 And with this confidence, I was intending to come to you before so that you might have a second grace,[fn] 16 and to pass through you into Macedonia and to come to you again from Macedonia and to be sent ahead to Judea by you. 17 Therefore, intending this, I did not then act in fickleness, did I? Or what I intend, do I intend according to the flesh, so that there would be with me “Yes, yes” and “No, no”?

18 But God is faithful, so that our word to you is not “Yes” and “No.” 19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, the one having been proclaimed among you by us—by me and Silvanus and Timothy—was not “Yes” and “No,” but it has been “Yes” in him. 20 For as many as are the promises of God, they are “Yes” in him. Therefore, also through him the “Amen” is through us to God for his glory. 21 Now the one establishing us with you in Christ and having anointed us is God, 22 the one also having sealed us and having given us the down payment of the Spirit in our hearts.

23 Now I invoke God as a witness upon my soul that sparing you, I have not yet come to Corinth. 24 Not that we lord it over your faith, but we are fellow workers for your joy, for you stand firm in the faith.

2 For I decided this for myself, not to come to you again in sorrow. 2 For if I myself grieve you, then who is the one cheering me up except the one being grieved by me? 3 And I wrote this same thing so that, having come, I might not have sorrow from those in whom it is necessary for me to rejoice, having become confident in all of you that my joy is the joy of all of you. 4 For I wrote to you out of much tribulation and anguish of heart, through many tears, not so that you would be grieved, but so that you might know the love that I have more abundantly for you.

5 But if anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved only me, but in part—in order that I might not burden all of you. 6 This punishment on such a person by the majority is sufficient, 7 so that, on the contrary, you should rather forgive and comfort him so that such a person might not be overwhelmed in his excessive sorrow. 8 So I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. 9 Indeed, I also wrote for this reason: so that I might know your proof, whether you are obedient in all things. 10 Now to whomever you forgive anything, I also forgive—for indeed, the one I have forgiven (if I have forgiven anything) is for your sake in the presence of Christ 11 so that we would not be taken advantage of by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.

12 Now having come to Troas and a door for the gospel of Christ having been opened to me in the Lord, 13 I had no relief in my spirit, as I did not find my brother Titus there. So having said farewell to them, I went on to Macedonia.

14 But thanks be to God, always leading us in triumphal procession in Christ and making known through us the aroma of the knowledge of him in every place. 15 For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among the ones being saved and among the ones perishing— 16 to the ones, indeed, an aroma from death to death, but to the others, an aroma from life to life. And for these things, who is sufficient? 17 For we are not like the many peddling the word of God; but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the presence of God in Christ.

3 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or we do not need, like some, letters of recommendation to you or from you, do we? 2 You yourselves are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men, 3 making known that you are a letter of Christ having been administered by us, not written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of hearts of flesh. 4 Now we have such confidence through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient from ourselves to consider anything as from ourselves. Instead, our sufficiency is from God, 6 who indeed made us competent as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit makes alive. 7 Now if the ministry of this death—engraved in letters on stones—came in glory, so that the sons of Israel were not able to look intently at the face of Moses because of the fading glory of his face, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit not be with much more glory? 9 For if the ministry of this condemnation had glory, the ministry of this righteousness abounds much more in glory! 10 For indeed, what had been glorified is not glorified in this part, because of the surpassing glory. 11 For if what is fading away came with glory, much more what remains will come with glory!

12 Therefore, having such a hope, we act with much boldness, 13 and not like Moses putting a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away. 14 But their minds were hardened, for until the present day, the same veil remains at the reading of the old covenant, not being lifted, because in Christ it is fading away. 15 But until today, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart, 16 but whenever one might turn to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 Now we all, with unveiled face reflecting the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

4 Therefore, having this ministry, just as we received mercy, we do not become discouraged. 2 Instead, we have rejected the shameful hidden things, not walking in craftiness, nor distorting the word of God, but by the manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man’s conscience before God. 3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to the ones perishing, 4 to whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, so that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, does not appear to them. 5 For we do not proclaim ourselves, but the Lord Christ Jesus, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God is the one who said, “From darkness a light will shine,” who shined in our hearts for the illumination of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

7 But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that the surpassing greatness of the power might be from God and not from us; 8 in every side being pressed in, but not being crushed; being perplexed, but not despairing; 9 being persecuted, but not being forsaken; being thrown down, but not perishing; 10 always carrying around in the body the dying of Jesus so that the life of Jesus also might be revealed in our body; 11 for we being alive are always being handed over to death for the sake of Jesus so that also the life of Jesus might be revealed in our mortal flesh. 12 So then, death works in us, but life in you. 13 But having the same spirit of the faith according to what has been written: “I believed; therefore I spoke,” we also believe; therefore we also speak, 14 knowing that the one having raised Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and will present us with you. 15 For all these things are for your sake so that the grace, having increased through more and more people, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

16 So we do not become discouraged. Rather, even if our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our momentary, light affliction is producing in us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison. 18 We are not watching the things being seen, but the things not being seen. For the things being seen are temporary, but the things not being seen are eternal.

5 For we know that if our earthly house of this tent is torn down, we have a building from God, an eternal house in the heavens, not made with hands. 2 For indeed, in this house we groan, longing to be fully clothed with our dwelling that is from heaven, 3 and if indeed having clothed ourselves, we will not be found naked. 4 For indeed, we, the ones being in this tent, groan, being burdened, because of which we do not want to be unclothed, but to be fully clothed so that the mortal may be swallowed up by the life. 5 Now the one having prepared us for this very thing is God, the one having given us the down payment of the Spirit. 6 Therefore, always being courageous and knowing that being at home in the body, we are away from the Lord— 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 Now we are confident and think it good rather to be away from the body and to be at home with the Lord. 9 And therefore we aspire, whether being at home or being away, to be well-pleasing to him. 10 For it is necessary for us all to be revealed before the judgment seat of Christ so that each one may receive back the things done through the body, with regard to what things he did, whether good or bad.

11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men. But we are clearly known by God, and I hope also to be clearly known in your consciences. 12 We are not again commending ourselves to you, but are giving you an opportunity of boasting on our behalf, so that you may have an answer for the ones boasting in appearance and not in heart. 13 For if we are out of our mind, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ controls us, having judged this: that one died for the sake of all; therefore, all died. 15 And he died for all so that the ones living should live no longer for themselves, but for the one having died for them and having been raised. 16 Therefore, from now on we regard no one according to the flesh. Even if we regarded Christ according to the flesh, yet now we no longer regard him that way. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things passed away; behold, new things have come.[fn] 18 Now all these things are from God, the one having reconciled us to himself through Christ and having given us the ministry of this reconciliation, 19 namely, that God in Christ was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and having placed in us the word of reconciliation.

20 Therefore, we are ambassadors on behalf of Christ, as though God is appealing through us: We implore you on behalf of Christ: “Be reconciled to God!” 21 The one not having known sin he made sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

6 Now working together with him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain— 2 for he says,

3 Giving no cause for offense in anything so that our ministry might not be blamed, 4 instead, we commend ourselves in everything as servants of God; in much endurance, in tribulations, in hardships, in distresses, 5 in beatings, in imprisonments, in riots, in hard labors, in sleeplessness nights, in hungers, 6 in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in sincere love, 7 in the word of truth, in the power of God; through the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left, 8 through honor and dishonor, through bad report and good report; as deceivers, yet true; 9 as being unknown, yet being well known; as dying yet—behold!—living; as being disciplined, yet not being put to death; 10 as being sorrowful, but always rejoicing; as poor, but making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing all things.

11 Our mouth has been opened toward you, Corinthians; our heart has been opened wide. 12 You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your affections; 13 and in the same exchange—I speak as to children—open yourselves wide also.

14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers, for what partnership does righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? 15 And what harmony does Christ have with Beliar? Or what share does a believer have with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement does the temple of God have with idols? For we are the temple of the living God, just as God said:

7 Therefore, beloved, having these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

2 Make room for us! We wronged no one; we ruined no one; we took advantage of no one. 3 I do not speak for your condemnation; for I have already said that you are in our hearts to die together and to live together. 4 Great is my confidence in you; great is my boasting on your behalf. I have been filled with encouragement. I overflow with this joy in all our afflictions.

5 For even having come to Macedonia, our flesh had no relief at all, but we were being afflicted in every way—conflicts without, fears within. 6 But God, the one comforting the humble, comforted us by the arrival of Titus, 7 and not only by his arrival, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted by you, reporting to us your longing, your mourning, and your zeal for my sake, so that I was caused to rejoice even more.

8 For even if I grieved you in the letter, I do not regret it. Even if I was regretting it (I see[fn] that that letter grieved you, if only for an hour), 9 now I rejoice, not that you were grieved, but that you were grieved to the point of repentance. For you were grieved with respect to God, so that you would not suffer loss in anything through us. 10 For the sorrow with respect to God works repentance towards salvation without regret. But the sorrow of the world produces death. 11 For behold how much earnestness this same thing produced in you, to be made sorrowful with respect to God: what defense, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, and what vindication! In everything you proved yourselves to be pure in this matter. 12 So even though I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the one having done wrong, nor for the sake of the one having suffered wrong, but so that your earnestness which is on our behalf might be revealed to you before God. 13 Because of this we have been encouraged.

Now in addition to our own encouragement, we rejoiced even more abundantly at the joy of Titus, because his spirit had been refreshed by all of you. 14 For if I had boasted anything to him about you, I was not ashamed, but as we spoke everything to you in truth, in the same way also our boasting became the truth to Titus. 15 And his affections towards you are more abundant, remembering the obedience of all of you, how you received him with fear and trembling. 16 I rejoice that in everything I am confident in you.

8 Now we make known to you, brothers, the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 that during a severe trial of affliction, the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded to the riches of their generosity. 3 For I testify that they gave according to their ability, and beyond their ability, of their own accord, 4 with much urging they pleaded with us for the favor and the fellowship of this ministry that is to the saints. 5 And not as we hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and then to us, by the will of God. 6 So we urged Titus that, just as he began, in the same way he would also complete for you this grace as well. 7 But even as you abound in everything, in faith and in speech and in knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love from us in you,[fn] so also you should abound in this act of grace. 8 I say this not according to a command, but also proving the genuineness of your love through the earnestness of others. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that he became poor for your sake though being rich so that by the poverty of that one, you might become rich.

10 And I give my opinion in this, for this is profitable for you, who not only began to do this a year ago, but also to desire to do it. 11 But now also complete what you began to do, so that just as there was the readiness of the desire, so also there may be the completion from what you have. 12 For if the readiness is already there, it is fully acceptable according to whatever one might have, not according to what he does not have.

13 For this is not so that there is relief for others but tribulation for you, but out of equality. 14 At the present time, your abundance is for the lack of those ones, so that also the abundance of those ones may be for your need, so that there may be equality, 15 just as it is written:

16 But thanks be to God, the one placing the same earnestness on your behalf into the heart of Titus. 17 For he not only accepted our appeal, but being very eager, he has gone to you of his own accord. 18 Now we have sent together with him the brother of whom is the praise throughout all of the churches in the gospel, 19 And not only this, but he also was chosen by the churches as our traveling companion, along with this grace that is being administered by us to the glory of the Lord, and to show our readiness; 20 avoiding this, that no one might blame us concerning this generosity being administered by us. 21 For we consider beforehand what is good, not only before the Lord, but also before men.

22 Now we sent our brother with them, whom we proved in many ways, and often being eager. But now he is even more eager because of his great confidence that he has in you. 23 As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker for you. As for our brothers, they are messengers of the churches, a glory of Christ. 24 Therefore, prove to them to the faces of the churches the proof of your love and of our boasting about you.

9 For concerning the ministry that is to the saints, it is excessive for me to write to you. 2 For I know your readiness, of which I boast to the Macedonians concerning you, that Achaia has been ready since last year, and your zeal stirred up most of them. 3 But I sent the brothers so that our boasting which is about you might not be futile in this matter and so that you might be ready, as I was saying. 4 Otherwise, if Macedonians might come with me and might find you unprepared, we would be ashamed—not to mention you—by this situation.[fn] 5 So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers that they should go to you beforehand and prepare in advance this promised blessing of yours, to be ready in this way as a blessing and not as something forced.

6 Now this I say: the one sowing sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one sowing in blessings will also reap in blessings. 7 Let each one give just as he has decided beforehand in his heart, not from sorrow or from compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in everything, always, having all sufficiency, you may abound in every good work. 9 Just as it is written:

10 Now the one supplying seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed and will increase the fruits of your righteousness, 11 in every way being enriched for all generosity, which produces thanksgiving to God through us, 12 because the ministry of this service not only is fully supplying the needs of the saints but is also abounding with many thanksgivings to God. 13 Through the proof of this ministry, they are glorifying God on the basis of the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ and the generosity of the fellowship toward them and toward everyone, 14 and in their prayer on your behalf, longing for you because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

10 Now I, Paul, myself—who am meek when face to face among you, but being absent, am bold toward you—appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ. 2 Now I am pleading that, being present, I will not need to be bold with the confidence with which I plan to be courageous against some of the ones regarding us as walking according to the flesh. 3 For though walking in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but are powerful to God for the tearing down of strongholds, tearing down strategies 5 and every high thing raising itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive into the obedience of Christ; 6 and being in readiness to avenge every act of disobedience, when your obedience would be complete.

7 Look at the things according to appearance. If anyone is confident in himself that he is of Christ, let him consider this again concerning himself: that just as he is of Christ, so also are we. 8 For even if I might boast somewhat excessively about our authority, which the Lord gave for building up and not for your tearing down, I will not be ashamed, 9 so that I would not seem as if to terrify you through my letters. 10 For someone says, “Indeed, his letters are weighty and forceful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech is despised.” 11 Let such a person consider this, that such as we are in our word through letters being absent, such we are also in our deed being present.

12 For we do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of the ones commending themselves. But these—measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves with themselves—do not understand. 13 We, however, will not boast to the immeasurable things, but according to the measure of the limit that God has assigned to us, a measure that reached even as far as you. 14 For we are not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach to you, for we came even as far as you with the gospel of Christ, 15 not boasting to the immeasurable things in the labors of others, but having hope, as your faith increases, to be enlarged among you according to our limit to abundance 16 to preach the gospel in the places beyond you—not to boast in the things accomplished in another’s area.

18 For that one commending himself is not approved, but whom the Lord commends.

11 I wish that you would bear with me in a little bit of foolishness, but you are indeed bearing with me! 2 For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy, for I joined you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. 3 But I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds might be corrupted from the sincerity and the purity that are to Christ. 4 For if indeed one coming proclaims another Jesus whom we did not proclaim, or you receive a different spirit which you did not receive or a different gospel which you did not accept, you are bearing with it well!

5 For I consider myself not to fall short of the “super-apostles.” 6 But even if I am untrained in this speech, yet not in this knowledge, but in everything having made this clear to you in all things. 7 Or did I commit a sin, humbling myself so that you yourselves might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you without payment? 8 I robbed other churches, having accepted a wage for the ministry to you. 9 And being present with you—and having lacked—I did not burden anyone. For the brothers having come from Macedonia completely met my need, and in everything I kept and will continue to keep myself from being a burden to you. 10 The truth of Christ is in me, that this boasting will not be shut to me in the regions of Achaia. 11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!

12 But what I do I will also continue to do so that I may cut off the opportunity of the ones desiring an opportunity that in what they are boasting about they may be found just as we also are. 13 For the ones of such kind are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 Therefore, it is no great thing if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

16 I say again: Let no one think me to be foolish. But if not, receive me at least as a fool so that I too may boast a little bit. 17 What I am saying, I am not saying according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this situation of boasting. 18 Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. 19 For gladly you bear with the foolish, being wise. 20 For you bear with it if anyone enslaves you, if anyone devours you, if anyone takes advantage of you, if anyone exalts himself, if anyone hits you in the face. 21 According to dishonor I speak, namely that we ourselves have been weak! However, in whatever way anyone might be bold—I am speaking in foolishness—I too am bold. 22 Are they Hebrews? I am also. Are they Israelites? I am also. Are they offspring of Abraham? I am also. 23 Are they servants of Christ? (I speak as being insane.) I am more so: more abundantly in hard work, more abundantly in imprisonments, in beatings beyond measure, often in danger of deaths. 24 Five times I received from Jews 40 lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a night and a day in the deep; 26 often on journeys, in dangers from rivers, in dangers from robbers, in dangers from my own countrymen, in dangers from Gentiles, in dangers in the city, in dangers in the wilderness, in dangers at sea, in dangers from false brothers; 27 in hard work and hardship, often in sleeplessness, in hunger and thirst, often in fasting, in cold and nakedness; 28 apart from the other things, there is the care for me every day, the concern of all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is caused to stumble, and I am not inflamed?

30 If it is necessary to boast, I will boast about the things of my weakness. 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, the one being blessed to eternity, knows that I am not lying! 32 In Damascus, the ethnarch under Aretas the king was guarding the city of Damascenes to arrest me. 33 But I was lowered in a basket through a window through the wall, and I escaped from his hands.

12 It is necessary to boast. It is not profitable, but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ—whether in the body, I do not know, or out of the body, I do not know, God knows—such a man having been caught up to the third heaven 14 years ago. 3 And I know that such a man—whether in body, or out of the body, I do not know, God knows— 4 that he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words which are not permitted for a man to speak. 5 On behalf of such a man I will boast. But on behalf of myself I will not boast, except in my weaknesses. 6 For even if I desire to boast, I will not be a fool, for I will be speaking the truth; but I refrain, so that no one would think more of me than what he sees in me or hears from me. 7 And because of the surpassing nature of the revelations, therefore, so that I would not become arrogant, a thorn in the flesh was given to me—a messenger of Satan—so that he might buffet me, so that I would not become arrogant.[fn] 8 Three times I begged the Lord about this, that he would remove it from me. 9 But he has said to me, “My grace is enough for you, for my power is being made perfect in weakness.” So I will most gladly boast even more in my weaknesses so that the power of Christ might reside upon me. 10 Therefore, I take delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions and distresses for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am powerful.

11 I have become foolish; you yourselves compelled me. For I ought to be commended by you, for I lacked nothing of the “super-apostles,” even if I am nothing. 12 Indeed, the signs of an apostle were performed among you with all endurance—both signs and wonders and miracles. 13 For what is the way that you were treated worse than the remaining churches, except that I myself did not burden you? Forgive me this injustice!

14 Behold! I am ready to come to you this third time, and I will not burden you. For I do not seek the things of yours, but you. For the children should not store up for the parents, but the parents for the children. 15 Now I will most gladly spend and be completely spent for the sake of your souls. If loving[fn] you more abundantly, am I to be loved less? 16 But let it be so, I myself did not burden you, but being crafty, I caught you by deceit. 17 There is no one whom I have sent to you, that through him I took advantage of you, is there? 18 I urged Titus to go and sent the other brother with him. Unless Titus took advantage of you? Did we not walk in the same spirit? Did we not walk in the same footsteps?

19 Do you think all of this time that we are defending ourselves to you? Before God in Christ we are speaking. But all these things, beloved, are for the sake of your building up. 20 For I fear that somehow, having come, I might find you not such as I wish, and I might be found by you not such as you wish; that somehow there may be quarreling, jealousy, ragings, rivalries, slanders, gossips, inflated egos, and riots, 21 that when I come again, my God might humble me before you, and I would mourn over many of the ones having sinned before and not having repented from the impurity and sexual immorality and debauchery that they did.

13 This will be the third time that I am coming to you. “Every matter must be established on the basis of the mouth of two or three witnesses.” 2 I have previously said when being present the second time, and though being absent, I also say now—to those who sinned before and to all the rest—that if I come again, I will not spare anyone, 3 since you are seeking proof of the Christ speaking in me, who is not weak toward you but is powerful among you. 4 For he was also crucified as a result of weakness, but he lives as a result of God’s power. For we also are weak in him, but we will live with him as a result of God’s power toward you.

5 Test yourselves, whether you are in the faith. Examine yourselves. Or do you not fully realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless you are unapproved? 6 And I hope that you will realize that we ourselves are not unapproved. 7 Now we pray to God that you may not do anything wrong, not so that we ourselves might be seen as approved, but so that you yourselves might do the good, even if we ourselves might be as unapproved. 8 For we are not able to do anything against the truth, but only on behalf of the truth. 9 For we rejoice whenever we ourselves are weak but you yourselves are powerful. We also pray for this: for your restoration. 10 Because of this, I write these things being absent so that, being present, I would not treat you harshly according to the authority which the Lord gave to me for building up and not for tearing down.

11 Finally, brothers, rejoice! Be restored, be encouraged, think the same, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.

13 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.[fn]

Instead of holiness, some ancient manuscripts read sincerity.

Instead of grace, some ancient manuscripts read joy.

Some ancient manuscripts read all things have become new.

Some ancient manuscripts read for I see or seeing but the best manuscripts read I see.

The best manuscripts read, and in the love from us in you. Some other versions read and in your love for us.

Some ancient manuscripts add of boasting.

Some ancient manuscripts do not include so that I would not become arrogant.

Instead of loving, some ancient manuscripts read I love

Some translations move All the saints greet you to verse 13.

Some translations separate All of the saints greet you from verse 12 and place it this verse. The text of this verse then becomes verse 14.