Present Weakness and Resurrection Life

4 Therefore, since through God’s mercy^(A) we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.^{(B) 2} Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways;^(C) we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God.^(D) On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience^(E) in the sight of God. ³ And even if our gospel^(F) is veiled,^(G) it is veiled to those who are perishing.^{(H) 4} The god^(I) of this age^(J) has blinded^(K) the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ,^(L) who is the image of God.^{(M) 5} For what we preach is not ourselves,^(N) but Jesus Christ as Lord,^(O) and ourselves as your servants^(P) for Jesus’ sake. ⁶ For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”^[a](Q) made his light shine in our hearts^(R) to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.^(S)

⁷ But we have this treasure in jars of clay^(T) to show that this all-surpassing power is from God^(U) and not from us. ⁸ We are hard pressed on every side,^(V) but not crushed; perplexed,^(W) but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted,^(X) but not abandoned;^(Y) struck down, but not destroyed.^{(Z) 10} We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus,^(AA) so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.^{(AB) 11} For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake,^(AC) so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. ¹² So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.^(AD)

¹³ It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.”^[b](AE) Since we have that same spirit of^[c] faith,^(AF) we also believe and therefore speak, ¹⁴ because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead^(AG) will also raise us with Jesus^(AH) and present us with you to himself.^{(AI) 15} All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving^(AJ) to overflow to the glory of God.

¹⁶ Therefore we do not lose heart.^(AK) Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly^(AL) we are being renewed^(AM) day by day. ¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.^{(AN) 18} So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen,^(AO) since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Awaiting the New Body

5 For we know that if the earthly^(AP) tent^(AQ) we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. ² Meanwhile we groan,^(AR) longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling,^{(AS) 3} because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. ⁴ For while we are in this tent, we groan^(AT) and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling,^(AU) so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. ⁵ Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.^(AV)

⁶ Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. ⁷ For we live by faith, not by sight.^{(AW) 8} We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.^{(AX) 9} So we make it our goal to please him,^(AY) whether we are at home in the body or away from it. ¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us^(AZ) for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

The Ministry of Reconciliation

¹¹ Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord,^(BA) we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.^{(BB) 12} We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again,^(BC) but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us,^(BD) so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. ¹³ If we are “out of our mind,”^(BE) as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. ¹⁴ For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.^{(BF) 15} And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves^(BG) but for him who died for them^(BH) and was raised again.

¹⁶ So from now on we regard no one from a worldly^(BI) point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. ¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,^(BJ) the new creation^(BK) has come:^[d] The old has gone, the new is here!^{(BL) 18} All this is from God,^(BM) who reconciled us to himself through Christ^(BN) and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹ that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.^(BO) And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors,^(BP) as though God were making his appeal through us.^(BQ) We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.^{(BR) 21} God made him who had no sin^(BS) to be sin^[e] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.^(BT)

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

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

8 ¹ all the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate.^(A) They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses,^(B) which the Lord had commanded for Israel.

² So on the first day of the seventh month^(C) Ezra the priest brought the Law^(D) before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. ³ He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate^(E) in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.

⁴ Ezra the teacher of the Law stood on a high wooden platform^(F) built for the occasion. Beside him on his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah; and on his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam.

⁵ Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing^(G) above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. ⁶ Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands^(H) and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

⁷ The Levites^(I)—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah—instructed^(J) the people in the Law while the people were standing there. ⁸ They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear^[a] and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.

⁹ Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites^(K) who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.”^(L) For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.

¹⁰ Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing^(M) prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy^(N) of the Lord is your strength.”

¹¹ The Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, for this is a holy day. Do not grieve.”

¹² Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy,^(O) because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.

¹³ On the second day of the month, the heads of all the families, along with the priests and the Levites, gathered around Ezra the teacher to give attention to the words of the Law. ¹⁴ They found written in the Law, which the Lord had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to live in temporary shelters^(P) during the festival of the seventh month ¹⁵ and that they should proclaim this word and spread it throughout their towns and in Jerusalem: “Go out into the hill country and bring back branches from olive and wild olive trees, and from myrtles, palms and shade trees, to make temporary shelters”—as it is written.^[b]

¹⁶ So the people went out and brought back branches and built themselves temporary shelters on their own roofs, in their courtyards, in the courts of the house of God and in the square by the Water Gate^(Q) and the one by the Gate of Ephraim.^{(R) 17} The whole company that had returned from exile built temporary shelters and lived in them.^(S) From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated^(T) it like this. And their joy was very great.

¹⁸ Day after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read^(U) from the Book of the Law^(V) of God. They celebrated the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day, in accordance with the regulation,^(W) there was an assembly.^(X)