Greeting

1 Paul, ^(A)an apostle of Christ Jesus ^(B)by the will of God, and ^(C)Timothy our brother,

To the church of God that is at Corinth, ^(D)with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia:

^2 (E)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

God of All Comfort

^3 (F)Blessed be the ^(G)God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and ^(H)God of all comfort, ^4 (I)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 ^(J)Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.^{[a] 6 (K)}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 ^(L)share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

⁸ For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers,^[b] of ^(M)the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. ⁹ Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us ^(N)rely not on ourselves ^(O)but on God ^(P)who raises the dead. ^10 (Q)He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. ^(R)On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. ^11 (S)You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf ^(T)for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

Treasure in Jars of Clay

⁷ But we have this treasure in ^(A)jars of clay, ^(B)to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. ⁸ We are ^(C)afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; ⁹ persecuted, but ^(D)not forsaken; ^(E)struck down, but not destroyed; ^10 (F)always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, ^(G)so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. ¹¹ For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. ¹² So ^(H)death is at work in us, but life in you.

¹³ Since we have ^(I)the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, ^(J)“I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, ¹⁴ knowing that ^(K)he who raised the Lord Jesus ^(L)will raise us also with Jesus and ^(M)bring us with you into his presence. ¹⁵ For ^(N)it is all for your sake, so that as ^(O)grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, ^(P)to the glory of God.

¹⁶ So we do not lose heart. ^(Q)Though our outer self^[a] is wasting away, ^(R)our inner self ^(S)is being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For ^(T)this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, ^18 (U)as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.