2 Corinthians 4
Complete Jewish Bible
4 God has shown us such mercy that we do not lose courage as we do the work he has given us. 2 Indeed, we refuse to make use of shameful underhanded methods, employing deception or distorting God’s message. On the contrary, by making very clear what the truth is, we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 So if indeed our Good News is veiled, it is veiled only to those in the process of being lost. 4 They do not come to trust because the god of the ‘olam hazeh has blinded their minds, in order to prevent them from seeing the light shining from the Good News about the glory of the Messiah, who is the image of God. 5 For what we are proclaiming is not ourselves, but the Messiah Yeshua as Lord, with ourselves as slaves for you because of Yeshua. 6 For it is the God who once said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has made his light shine in our hearts, the light of the knowledge of God’s glory shining in the face of the Messiah Yeshua.
7 But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it will be evident that such overwhelming power comes from God and not from us. 8 We have all kinds of troubles, but we are not crushed; we are perplexed, yet not in despair; 9 persecuted, yet not abandoned; knocked down, yet not destroyed. 10 We always carry in our bodies the dying of Yeshua, so that the life of Yeshua may be manifested in our bodies too. 11 For we who are alive are always being handed over to death for Yeshua’s sake, so that Yeshua’s life also might be manifested in our mortal bodies. 12 Thus death is at work in us but life in you.
13 The Tanakh says, “I trusted, therefore I spoke.”[a] Since we have that same Spirit who enables us to trust, we also trust and therefore speak; 14 because we know that he who raised the Lord Yeshua will also raise us with Yeshua and bring us along with you into his presence. 15 All this is for your sakes, so that as grace flows out to more and more people, it may cause thanksgiving to overflow and bring glory to God.
16 This is why we do not lose courage. Though our outer self is heading for decay, our inner self is being renewed daily. 17 For our light and transient troubles are achieving for us an everlasting glory whose weight is beyond description. 18 We concentrate not on what is seen but on what is not seen, since things seen are temporary, but things not seen are eternal.
Footnotes
- 2 Corinthians 4:13 Psalm 116:10
Kehillah in Corinth II 4
Orthodox Jewish Bible
4 Therefore, since it is by the chesed of Hashem that we have this sherut, this kehunah, [2C 3:16] we are undaunted. [TEHILLIM 18:45; YESHAYAH 40:31]
2 But we renounced the hidden things of bushah (shame), not going about with remiyah (deceit) nor falsifying the dvar Hashem. Rather by the manifestation of HaEmes we present ourselves to every man’s matzpun in the sight of Hashem. [2C 2:17; 1Th 2:5]
3 But if indeed our Besuras HaGeulah is nistar (hidden), it is nistar among the ones perishing, [2C 1:18]
4 In whose case the g-d of the Olam Hazeh (Ep 2:2) blinded the minds of the ones without emunah, so the illumination of the Besuras HaGeulah of the kavod of Moshiach, who is the demut of Hashem, [Co 1:15; MJ 1:3] would not shine on them.
5 For we preach not ourselves but Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu Yehoshua and ourselves as your avadim (servants) for Yehoshua’s sake. [2C 1:24]
6 Because Hashem is the One who said,"Let Ohr shine out of choshech" [BERESHIS 1:3; YESHAYAH 9:2] who shone in our levavot for an illumination of the da’as of the kavod of Hashem in the face of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua. [2C 3:18]
7 Now we have this otzar (treasure) in earthen vessels [2C 5:1] that the excellence of the ko’ach may be of Hashem and not of us. [IYOV 4:19; YESHAYAH 64:8; SHOFETIM 7:2]
8 Being oppressed on every side [2C 1:8; 7;5] but not being crushed, being perplexed but not in ye’ush (despair, atzvut),
9 Being persecuted but not forsaken, being cast down but not destroyed, [TEHILLIM 37:24; MISHLE 24:16]
10 Always bearing about the dying of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach in my basar that also the Chayyim of Moshiach in geviyyateinu might be manifested. [BERESHIS 47:18; TEHILLIM 16:9-10; IYOV 19:25-27; YESHAYAH 53:11]
11 For always we, the ones living, are being given over to mavet because of Moshiach [Ro 8:36; 1C 15:31] that also the Chayyim of Moshiach may be manifested in our mortal basar.
12 So then Mavet works in us but Chayyim in you.
13 And having the same Ruach Hakodesh of emunah that is in accordance with the Kitvei Hakodesh, HE’EMANITI KI ADABER ("I believed, therefore I speak " TEHILLIM 116:10), we both believed and therefore we speak,
14 Having da’as that the One who made to stand up alive Adoneinu Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua will make us also with Yehoshua stand up alive and will present us with you. [Ro 8:11; 1C 6:14; 15:15,20]
15 For all things are because of you [2C 1:3-6] that the Chen v’Chesed Hashem, having increased through the many, may increase the hodayah (thanksgiving) to the kavod of Hashem. [1:6]
16 Therefore we are undaunted and do not lose chozek (strength). For, indeed, even if our outward man is becoming old and atrophied, yet our inward man is yom yom being renewed. [Ep 3:16; Ps 18:45; 103:5; Isa 40:31]
17 For our present momentary tzoros is preparing us for an eternal weight of kavod (glory) utterly beyond measure, [TEHILLIM 30:5; Ro 8:17-18]
18 For while we are not looking at the visible things but the invisible; [Co 1:16; MJ 11:1,3] for the things visible are zemanniyim (temporary) but the things invisible are for l’olamim.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
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