2 Corinthians 4

King James Version

4 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;

²But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

³But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

⁴In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

⁵For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.

⁶For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

⁷But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

⁸We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

⁹Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

¹⁰Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

¹¹For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

¹²So then death worketh in us, but life in you.

¹³We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;

¹⁴Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.

¹⁵For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

¹⁶For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

¹⁷For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

¹⁸While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

2 Corinthians 4

American Standard Version

4 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, even as we obtained mercy, we faint not: ²but we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. ³And even if our ^[a]gospel is veiled, it is veiled in them that ^[b]perish: ⁴in whom the god of this ^[c]world hath blinded the ^[d]minds of the unbelieving, ^[e]that the ^[f]light of the ^[g]gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn upon them. ⁵For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your ^[h]servants ^[i]for Jesus’ sake. ⁶Seeing it is God, that said, ^[j]Light shall shine out of darkness, who shined in our hearts, to give the ^[k]light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

⁷But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves; ⁸we are pressed on every side, yet not straitened; perplexed, yet not unto despair; ⁹pursued, yet not ^[l]forsaken; smitten down, yet not destroyed; ¹⁰always bearing about in the body the ^[m]dying of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our body. ¹¹For we who live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. ¹²So then death worketh in us, but life in you. ¹³But having the same spirit of faith, according to that which is written, ^[n]I believed, and therefore did I speak; we also believe, and therefore also we speak; ¹⁴knowing that he that raised up ^[o]the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also with Jesus, and shall present us with you. ¹⁵For all things are for your sakes, that the grace, being multiplied through ^[p]the many, may cause the thanksgiving to abound unto the glory of God.

¹⁶Wherefore we faint not; but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day. ¹⁷For our light affliction, which is for the moment, worketh for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory; ¹⁸while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Footnotes

2 Corinthians 4:3 See marginal note on 2:12.
2 Corinthians 4:3 Or, are perishing
2 Corinthians 4:4 Or, age
2 Corinthians 4:4 Greek thoughts.
2 Corinthians 4:4 Or, that they should not see the light . . . image of God
2 Corinthians 4:4 Greek illumination.
2 Corinthians 4:4 See marginal note on 2:12.
2 Corinthians 4:5 Greek bondservants. Compare 1 Cor. 9:19.
2 Corinthians 4:5 Some ancient authorities read through Jesus.
2 Corinthians 4:6 Gen. 1:3.
2 Corinthians 4:6 Greek illumination.
2 Corinthians 4:9 Or, left behind
2 Corinthians 4:10 Greek putting to death.
2 Corinthians 4:13 Ps. 116:10.
2 Corinthians 4:14 Some ancient authorities omit the Lord.
2 Corinthians 4:15 Greek the more.

2 Corinthians 4

Contemporary English Version

Treasure in Clay Jars

4 God has been kind enough to trust us with this work. This is why we never give up. ²We don't do shameful things that must be kept secret. And we don't try to fool anyone or twist God's message around. God is our witness that we speak only the truth, so others will be sure we can be trusted. ³If there is anything hidden about our message, it is hidden only to someone who is lost.

⁴The god who rules this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers. They cannot see the light, which is the good news about our glorious Christ, who shows what God is like. ⁵We are not preaching about ourselves. Our message is that Jesus Christ is Lord. He also sent us to be your servants. ⁶^(A) The Scriptures say, “God commanded light to shine in the dark.” Now God is shining in our hearts to let you know that his glory is seen in Jesus Christ.

⁷We are like clay jars in which this treasure is stored. The real power comes from God and not from us. ⁸We often suffer, but we are never crushed. Even when we don't know what to do, we never give up. ⁹In times of trouble, God is with us, and when we are knocked down, we get up again. ^10-11We face death every day because of Jesus. Our bodies show what his death was like, so his life can also be seen in us. ¹²This means that death is working in us, but life is working in you.

¹³In the Scriptures it says, “I spoke because I had faith.” We have this same kind of faith. So we speak ¹⁴because we know that God raised the Lord Jesus to life. And just as God raised Jesus, he will also raise us to life. Then he will bring us into his presence together with you. ¹⁵All of this has been done for you, so more and more people will know how kind God is and will praise and honor him.

Faith in the Lord

¹⁶We never give up. Our bodies are gradually dying, but we ourselves are being made stronger each day. ¹⁷These little troubles are getting us ready for an eternal glory that will make all our troubles seem like nothing. ¹⁸Things that are seen don't last forever, but things that are not seen are eternal. This is why we keep our minds on the things that cannot be seen.

2 Corinthians 4

Darby Translation

4 Therefore, having this ministry, as we have had mercy shewn us, we faint not.

²But we have rejected the hidden things of shame, not walking in deceit, nor falsifying the word of God, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every conscience of men before God.

³But if also our gospel is veiled, it is veiled in those that are lost;

⁴in whom the god of this world has blinded the thoughts of the unbelieving, so that the radiancy of the glad tidings of the glory of the Christ, who is [the] image of God, should not shine forth [for them].

⁵For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus Lord, and ourselves your bondmen for Jesus' sake.

⁶Because [it is] the God who spoke that out of darkness light should shine who has shone in our hearts for the shining forth of the knowledge of the glory of God in [the] face of [Jesus] Christ.

⁷But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassingness of the power may be of God, and not from us:

⁸every way afflicted, but not straitened; seeing no apparent issue, but our way not entirely shut up;

⁹persecuted, but not abandoned; cast down, but not destroyed;

¹⁰always bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our body;

¹¹for we who live are always delivered unto death on account of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh;

¹²so that death works in us, but life in you.

¹³And having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, I have believed, therefore have I spoken; *we* also believe, therefore also we speak;

¹⁴knowing that he who has raised the Lord Jesus shall raise us also with Jesus, and shall present [us] with you.

¹⁵For all things [are] for your sakes, that the grace abounding through the many may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

¹⁶Wherefore we faint not; but if indeed our outward man is consumed, yet the inward is renewed day by day.

¹⁷For our momentary [and] light affliction works for us in surpassing measure an eternal weight of glory;

¹⁸while we look not at the things that are seen, but at the things that are not seen; for the things that are seen [are] for a time, but those that are not seen eternal.