2 Corinthians 6-7

New International Version

6 As God’s co-workers^(A) we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.^(B) ²For he says,

“In the time of my favor I heard you,
and in the day of salvation I helped you.”^[a]^(C)

I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.

Paul’s Hardships

³We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path,^(D) so that our ministry will not be discredited. ⁴Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; ⁵in beatings, imprisonments^(E) and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger;^(F) ⁶in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit^(G) and in sincere love;^(H) ⁷in truthful speech^(I) and in the power of God;^(J) with weapons of righteousness^(K) in the right hand and in the left; ⁸through glory and dishonor,^(L) bad report^(M) and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors;^(N) ⁹known, yet regarded as unknown; dying,^(O) and yet we live on;^(P) beaten, and yet not killed; ¹⁰sorrowful, yet always rejoicing;^(Q) poor, yet making many rich;^(R) having nothing,^(S) and yet possessing everything.^(T)

¹¹We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you.^(U) ¹²We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. ¹³As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children^(V)—open wide your hearts^(W) also.

Warning Against Idolatry

¹⁴Do not be yoked together^(X) with unbelievers.^(Y) For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?^(Z) ¹⁵What harmony is there between Christ and Belial^[b]?^(AA) Or what does a believer^(AB) have in common with an unbeliever?^(AC) ¹⁶What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols?^(AD) For we are the temple^(AE) of the living God.^(AF) 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.”^[c]^(AG)

¹⁷Therefore,

“Come out from them^(AH)
and be separate,
says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing,
and I will receive you.”^[d]^(AI)

¹⁸And,

“I will be a Father to you,
and you will be my sons and daughters,^(AJ)
says the Lord Almighty.”^[e]^(AK)

7 Therefore, since we have these promises,^(AL) dear friends,^(AM) let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness^(AN) out of reverence for God.

Paul’s Joy Over the Church’s Repentance

²Make room for us in your hearts.^(AO) We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one. ³I do not say this to condemn you; I have said before that you have such a place in our hearts^(AP) that we would live or die with you. ⁴I have spoken to you with great frankness; I take great pride in you.^(AQ) I am greatly encouraged;^(AR) in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.^(AS)

⁵For when we came into Macedonia,^(AT) we had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn^(AU)—conflicts on the outside, fears within.^(AV) ⁶But God, who comforts the downcast,^(AW) comforted us by the coming of Titus,^(AX) ⁷and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever.

⁸Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter,^(AY) I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— ⁹yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. ¹⁰Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation^(AZ) and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. ¹¹See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern,^(BA) what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. ¹²So even though I wrote to you,^(BB) it was neither on account of the one who did the wrong^(BC) nor on account of the injured party, but rather that before God you could see for yourselves how devoted to us you are. ¹³By all this we are encouraged.

In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus^(BD) was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you. ¹⁴I had boasted to him about you,^(BE) and you have not embarrassed me. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting about you to Titus^(BF) has proved to be true as well. ¹⁵And his affection for you is all the greater when he remembers that you were all obedient,^(BG) receiving him with fear and trembling.^(BH) ¹⁶I am glad I can have complete confidence in you.^(BI)

Footnotes

2 Corinthians 6:2 Isaiah 49:8
2 Corinthians 6:15 Greek Beliar, a variant of Belial
2 Corinthians 6:16 Lev. 26:12; Jer. 32:38; Ezek. 37:27
2 Corinthians 6:17 Isaiah 52:11; Ezek. 20:34,41
2 Corinthians 6:18 2 Samuel 7:14; 7:8

Proverbs 7

New International Version

Warning Against the Adulterous Woman

7 My son,^(A) keep my words
    and store up my commands within you.
²Keep my commands and you will live;^(B)
    guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.
³Bind them on your fingers;
    write them on the tablet of your heart.^(C)
⁴Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
    and to insight, “You are my relative.”
⁵They will keep you from the adulterous woman,
    from the wayward woman with her seductive words.^(D)

⁶At the window of my house
    I looked down through the lattice.
⁷I saw among the simple,
    I noticed among the young men,
    a youth who had no sense.^(E)
⁸He was going down the street near her corner,
    walking along in the direction of her house
⁹at twilight,^(F) as the day was fading,
    as the dark of night set in.

¹⁰Then out came a woman to meet him,
    dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent.
¹¹(She is unruly^(G) and defiant,
    her feet never stay at home;
¹²now in the street, now in the squares,
    at every corner she lurks.)^(H)
¹³She took hold of him^(I) and kissed him
    and with a brazen face she said:^(J)

¹⁴“Today I fulfilled my vows,
    and I have food from my fellowship offering^(K) at home.
¹⁵So I came out to meet you;
    I looked for you and have found you!
¹⁶I have covered my bed
    with colored linens from Egypt.
¹⁷I have perfumed my bed^(L)
    with myrrh,^(M) aloes and cinnamon.
¹⁸Come, let’s drink deeply of love till morning;
    let’s enjoy ourselves with love!^(N)
¹⁹My husband is not at home;
    he has gone on a long journey.
²⁰He took his purse filled with money
    and will not be home till full moon.”

²¹With persuasive words she led him astray;
    she seduced him with her smooth talk.^(O)
²²All at once he followed her
    like an ox going to the slaughter,
like a deer^[a] stepping into a noose^[b]^(P)
²³    till an arrow pierces^(Q) his liver,
like a bird darting into a snare,
    little knowing it will cost him his life.^(R)

²⁴Now then, my sons, listen^(S) to me;
    pay attention to what I say.
²⁵Do not let your heart turn to her ways
    or stray into her paths.^(T)
²⁶Many are the victims she has brought down;
    her slain are a mighty throng.
²⁷Her house is a highway to the grave,
    leading down to the chambers of death.^(U)