2 Corinthians 6
King James Version
6 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.
2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
3 Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed:
4 But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,
5 In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;
6 By pureness, by knowledge, by long suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,
7 By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,
8 By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true;
9 As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;
10 As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
11 O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged.
12 Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels.
13 Now for a recompence in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged.
14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.
18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
2 Corinthians 6
Holman Christian Standard Bible
6 Working together[a] with Him, we also appeal to you, “Don’t receive God’s grace in vain.” 2 For He says:
Look, now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation.(B)
The Character of Paul’s Ministry
3 We give no opportunity for stumbling to anyone, so that the ministry will not be blamed. 4 But as God’s ministers, we commend ourselves in everything:
by great endurance, by afflictions,
by hardship, by difficulties,
5 by beatings, by imprisonments,(C)
by riots, by labors,
by sleepless nights, by times of hunger,
6 by purity,(D) by knowledge,(E)
by patience,(F) by kindness,(G)
by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love,(H)
7 by the message of truth,(I)
by the power of God;(J)
through weapons of righteousness
on the right hand and the left,
8 through glory(K) and dishonor,
through slander and good report;
as deceivers yet true;
9 as unknown yet recognized;
as dying and look—we live;
as being disciplined yet not killed;
10 as grieving yet always rejoicing;(L)
as poor yet enriching many;
as having nothing yet possessing everything.
11 We have spoken openly[c] to you, Corinthians; our heart has been opened wide. 12 You are not limited by us, but you are limited by your own affections. 13 I speak as to my children. As a proper response, you should also be open to us.
Separation to God
14 Do not be mismatched with unbelievers. For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness?(M) Or what fellowship does light(N) have with darkness?(O) 15 What agreement does Christ have with Belial?[d] Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement does God’s sanctuary have with idols?(P) For we[e] are the sanctuary of the living God, as God said:
I will dwell among them(Q)
and walk among them,
and I will be their God,(R)
and they will be My people.(S)[f]
17 Therefore, come out from among them
and be separate, says the Lord;
do not touch any unclean thing,
and I will welcome you.(T)[g]
18 I will be a Father(U) to you,
and you will be sons(V) and daughters to Me,
says the Lord Almighty.(W)[h]
Footnotes
- 2 Corinthians 6:1 Or As we work together
- 2 Corinthians 6:2 Is 49:8
- 2 Corinthians 6:11 Lit Our mouths have been open
- 2 Corinthians 6:15 Or Beliar, a name for the Devil or antichrist in extra-biblical Jewish writings
- 2 Corinthians 6:16 Other mss read you
- 2 Corinthians 6:16 Lv 26:12; Jr 31:33; 32:38; Ezk 37:26
- 2 Corinthians 6:17 Is 52:11
- 2 Corinthians 6:18 2Sm 7:14; Is 43:6; 49:22; 60:4; Hs 1:10
2 Corinthians 6
American Standard Version
6 1 And working together with him we entreat also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain 2 (for he saith,
[a]At an acceptable time I hearkened unto thee,
And in a day of salvation did I succor thee:
behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation): 3 giving no occasion of stumbling in anything, that our ministration be not blamed; 4 but in everything commending ourselves, as ministers of God, in much [b]patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, 5 in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in watchings, in fastings; 6 in pureness, in knowledge, in longsuffering, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in love unfeigned, 7 in the word of truth, in the power of God; [c]by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, 8 by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; 9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
11 Our mouth is open unto you, O Corinthians, our heart is enlarged. 12 Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own affections. 13 Now for a recompense in like kind (I speak as unto my children), be ye also enlarged. 14 Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? or what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with [d]Belial? or what portion hath a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement hath a [e]temple of God with idols? for we are a [f]temple of the living God; even as God said, [g]I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore
[h]Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate,
saith the Lord,
And touch no unclean thing;
And I will receive you,
18 [i]And will be to you a Father,
And ye shall be to me sons and daughters,
saith the Lord Almighty.
Footnotes
- 2 Corinthians 6:2 Isa. 49:8.
- 2 Corinthians 6:4 Or, stedfastness
- 2 Corinthians 6:7 Greek through.
- 2 Corinthians 6:15 Greek Beliar.
- 2 Corinthians 6:16 Or, sanctuary
- 2 Corinthians 6:16 Or, sanctuary
- 2 Corinthians 6:16 Lev. 26:12; Ex. 29:45; Ezek. 37:27; Jer. 31:1.
- 2 Corinthians 6:17 Isa. 52:11.
- 2 Corinthians 6:18 Hos. 1:10; Isa. 43:6.
2 Corinthians 6
Young's Literal Translation
6 And working together also we call upon [you] that ye receive not in vain the grace of God --
2 for He saith, `In an acceptable time I did hear thee, and in a day of salvation I did help thee, lo, now [is] a well-accepted time; lo, now, a day of salvation,' --
3 in nothing giving any cause of offence, that the ministration may be not blamed,
4 but in everything recommending ourselves as God's ministrants; in much patience, in tribulations, in necessities, in distresses,
5 in stripes, in imprisonments, in insurrections, in labours, in watchings, in fastings,
6 in pureness, in knowledge, in long-suffering, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in love unfeigned,
7 in the word of truth, in the power of God, through the armour of the righteousness, on the right and on the left,
8 through glory and dishonour, through evil report and good report, as leading astray, and true;
9 as unknown, and recognized; as dying, and lo, we live; as chastened, and not put to death;
10 as sorrowful, and always rejoicing; as poor, and making many rich; as having nothing, and possessing all things.
11 Our mouth hath been open unto you, O Corinthians, our heart hath been enlarged!
12 ye are not straitened in us, and ye are straitened in your [own] bowels,
13 and [as] a recompense of the same kind, (as to children I say [it],) be ye enlarged -- also ye!
14 Become not yoked with others -- unbelievers, for what partaking [is there] to righteousness and lawlessness?
15 and what fellowship to light with darkness? and what concord to Christ with Belial? or what part to a believer with an unbeliever?
16 and what agreement to the sanctuary of God with idols? for ye are a sanctuary of the living God, according as God said -- `I will dwell in them, and will walk among [them], and I will be their God, and they shall be My people,
17 wherefore, come ye forth out of the midst of them, and be separated, saith the Lord, and an unclean thing do not touch, and I -- I will receive you,
18 and I will be to you for a Father, and ye -- ye shall be to Me for sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.'
2 Corinthians 6
Revised Standard Version
6 Working together with him, then, we entreat you not to accept the grace of God in vain. 2 For he says,
“At the acceptable time I have listened to you,
and helped you on the day of salvation.”
Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 3 We put no obstacle in any one’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4 but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5 beatings, imprisonments, tumults, labors, watching, hunger; 6 by purity, knowledge, forbearance, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love, 7 truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8 in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as punished, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
11 Our mouth is open to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide. 12 You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. 13 In return—I speak as to children—widen your hearts also.
The Temple of the Living God
14 Do not be mismated with unbelievers. For what partnership have righteousness and iniquity? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What accord has Christ with Be′lial?[a] Or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,
“I will live in them and move among them,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
17 Therefore come out from them,
and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch nothing unclean;
then I will welcome you,
18 and I will be a father to you,
and you shall be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty.”
Footnotes
- 2 Corinthians 6:15 Greek Beliar
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Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.