От Павла, по воле Бога апостола Христа Иисуса, и от брата Тимофея.

Церкви Божьей в Коринфе и всем святым в Ахаии[a].

Благодать и мир вам от Бога Отца и от Господа Иисуса Христа.

Хвала Богу, дающему утешение

Благословен Бог и Отец Господа нашего Иисуса Христа, Отец милосердия и Бог всяческого утешения. Он утешает нас во всех наших тяготах, чтобы и мы, в свою очередь, могли утешить других в их горе тем утешением, которым Бог утешает нас. Ведь как умножаются наши страдания ради Христа, так умножается Христом и наше утешение. Жизненные трудности мы переносим ради вашего утешения и спасения. Утешение, которое мы получаем, тоже дается нам ради вашего утешения. Оно поможет и вам стойко перенести те же страдания, которые приходится переносить нам. Мы твердо надеемся на вас и знаем, что как вы разделяете с нами наши страдания, так разделяете и наше утешение.

Братья, я хочу, чтобы вы знали о том, что мы пережили в провинции Азия[b]. Выпавшие там на нашу долю страдания настолько превосходили все наши силы, что мы потеряли надежду остаться в живых. Казалось, что мы уже получили смертный приговор, но так было для того, чтобы мы научились полагаться не на себя, а на Бога, Который воскрешает мертвых. 10 Он избавил нас от смертельной опасности и впредь избавит. На Него мы надеемся, и Он спасет нас. 11 Только вы помогайте нам своими молитвами, чтобы многие возблагодарили Бога за то, что Он был так милостив к нам по их молитвам.

Изменение в планах Павла

12 Мы хвалимся тем – и наша совесть может быть этому порукой, – что мы и в этом мире, и в особенности в наших отношениях с вами, поступали честно[c] и искренне, и это нам было дано от Бога. Мы поступали не по «мудрости» этого мира, но по Божьей благодати. 13 Во всем, что мы вам написали, нет ничего, что вы, прочитав, не смогли бы понять. Я надеюсь, что, поняв нас до конца, – 14 а отчасти вы нас уже понимаете, – в День возвращения Господа Иисуса вы сможете хвалиться нами так же, как и мы вами.

15 Я уверен в этом и поэтому хотел бы сначала прийти к вам, чтобы вы дважды получили благодать. 16 Я собирался побывать у вас по пути в Македонию, а затем еще раз посетить вас на обратном пути, и тогда вы помогли бы мне отправиться в Иудею. 17 Может, вам кажется, что это решение было необдуманным? Или, может, я, как это водится у людей, говорю в одно и то же время то «да», то «нет»? 18 Заверяю вас перед Богом, Который верен: то, что говорю вам, я говорю без колебаний. 19 В Сыне Божьем Иисусе Христе, Которого вам возвещали я, Силуан и Тимофей, нет никакой неопределенности, в Нем всегда лишь только «да». 20 Все обещания Божьи подтвердились в Иисусе Христе! Поэтому и мы говорим через Него во славу Бога: «Аминь».

21 Бог делает и нас, и вас непоколебимыми во Христе. Он совершил над нами помазание 22 и запечатлел нас Своей печатью. Он вложил в наши сердца Своего Духа как залог того, что Он нам обещал.

23 Бог свидетель того, что лишь жалея вас, я до сих пор не приходил с наказанием в Коринф. 24 Мы не хотим повелевать вашей верой, нет, мы делаем все лишь для вашей радости, потому что вы твердо стоите в вере.

Footnotes

  1. 1:1 Ахаия – римская провинция, включавшая в себя большую часть той территории, на которой расположена современная Греция.
  2. 1:8 Азия – здесь имеется в виду не материк, а римская провинция на западе Малой Азии (часть современной территории Турции).
  3. 1:12 Или: «свято».

Greeting

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

To the church of God which is at Corinth, (C)with all the saints who are in all Achaia:

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

Comfort in Suffering

(E)Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who (F)comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any [a]trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as (G)the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our [b]consolation also abounds through Christ. Now if we are afflicted, (H)it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that (I)as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation.

Delivered from Suffering

For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of (J)our [c]trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should (K)not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, 10 (L)who delivered us from so great a death, and [d]does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us, 11 you also (M)helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on [e]our behalf (N)for the gift granted to us through many.

Paul’s Sincerity

12 For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in [f]simplicity and (O)godly sincerity, (P)not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you. 13 For we are not writing any other things to you than what you read or understand. Now I trust you will understand, even to the end 14 (as also you have understood us in part), (Q)that we are your boast as (R)you also are ours, in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Sparing the Church

15 And in this confidence (S)I intended to come to you before, that you might have (T)a second benefit— 16 to pass by way of you to Macedonia, (U)to come again from Macedonia to you, and be helped by you on my way to Judea. 17 Therefore, when I was planning this, did I do it lightly? Or the things I plan, do I plan (V)according to the flesh, that with me there should be Yes, Yes, and No, No? 18 But as God is (W)faithful, our [g]word to you was not Yes and No. 19 For (X)the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me, (Y)Silvanus, and (Z)Timothy—was not Yes and No, (AA)but in Him was Yes. 20 (AB)For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. 21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and (AC)has anointed us is God, 22 who (AD)also has sealed us and (AE)given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

23 Moreover (AF)I call God as witness against my soul, (AG)that to spare you I came no more to Corinth. 24 Not (AH)that we [h]have dominion over your faith, but are fellow workers for your joy; for (AI)by faith you stand.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 1:4 tribulation
  2. 2 Corinthians 1:5 comfort
  3. 2 Corinthians 1:8 tribulation
  4. 2 Corinthians 1:10 NU shall
  5. 2 Corinthians 1:11 M your behalf
  6. 2 Corinthians 1:12 The opposite of duplicity
  7. 2 Corinthians 1:18 message
  8. 2 Corinthians 1:24 rule

Greeting

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:

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

God of All Comfort

(F)Blessed be the (G)God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and (H)God of all comfort, (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. For as we share abundantly in (J)Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.[a] (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. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you (L)share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

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. 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.

Paul's Change of Plans

12 For our boast is this, (U)the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity[c] and (V)godly sincerity, (W)not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you. 13 For we are not writing to you anything other than what you read and understand and I hope you will fully understand— 14 just as you did (X)partially understand us—that (Y)on the day of our Lord Jesus (Z)you will boast of us as (AA)we will boast of you.

15 Because I was sure of this, (AB)I wanted to come to you first, so that you might have (AC)a second (AD)experience of grace. 16 I wanted to visit you (AE)on my way to Macedonia, and to come back to you from Macedonia and have you send me on my way to Judea. 17 Was I vacillating when I wanted to do this? Do I make my plans (AF)according to the flesh, ready to say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time? 18 As surely as (AG)God is faithful, (AH)our word to you has not been Yes and No. 19 For (AI)the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, (AJ)Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but (AK)in him it is always Yes. 20 For (AL)all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our (AM)Amen to God for his glory. 21 And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and (AN)has anointed us, 22 and who has also (AO)put his seal on us and (AP)given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.[d]

23 But (AQ)I call God to witness against me—it was (AR)to spare you that I refrained from coming again to Corinth. 24 Not that we (AS)lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, for you stand firm (AT)in your faith.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 1:5 Or For as the sufferings of Christ abound for us, so also our comfort abounds through Christ
  2. 2 Corinthians 1:8 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters
  3. 2 Corinthians 1:12 Some manuscripts holiness
  4. 2 Corinthians 1:22 Or down payment