[0] Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always
abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is
not in vain. [1] Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and
Timothy our brother. To the church of God which is at Corinth, with all
the saints who are in the whole of Acha'ia: [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 God of all comfort, [4]
who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort
those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves
are comforted by God. [5] For as we share abundantly in Christ's
sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. [6] If we
are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are
comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently
endure the same sufferings that we suffer. [7] Our hope for you is
unshaken; for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also
share in our comfort. [8] For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren,
of the affliction we experienced in Asia; for we were so utterly,
unbearably crushed that we despaired of life itself. [9] Why, we felt that
we had received the sentence of death; but that was to make us rely not on
ourselves but on God who raises the dead; [10] he delivered us from so
deadly a peril, and he will deliver us; on him we have set our hope that he
will deliver us again. [11] You also must help us by prayer, so that many
will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us in answer to
many prayers. [12] For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience
that we have behaved in the world, and still more toward you, with holiness
and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God. [13]
For we write you nothing but what you can read and understand; I hope you
will understand fully, [14] as you have understood in part, that you can be
proud of us as we can be of you, on the day of the Lord Jesus. [15] Because
I was sure of this, I wanted to come to you first, so that you might have a
double pleasure; [16] I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedo'nia, and to
come back to you from Macedo'nia and have you send me on my way to Judea.
[17] Was I vacillating when I wanted to do this? Do I make my plans like a
worldly man, ready to say Yes and No at once? [18] As surely as God is
faithful, our word to you has not been Yes and No. [19] For the Son of God,
Jesus Christ, whom we preached among you, Silva'nus and Timothy and I, was
not Yes and No; but in him it is always Yes. [20] For all the promises of
God find their Yes in him. That is why we utter the Amen through him, to
the glory of God. [21] But it is God who establishes us with you in Christ,
and has commissioned us; [22] he has put his seal upon us and given us his
Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. [23] But I call God to witness against
me--it was to spare you that I refrained from coming to Corinth. [24] Not
that we lord it over your faith; we work with you for your joy, for you
stand firm in your faith.
