2 Corinthians 6

New American Standard Bible

Their Ministry Commended

6 And ^(A)working together with Him, ^(B)we also urge you not to receive ^(C)the grace of God in vain— ²for He says,

“^(D)At a favorable time I listened to you,
And on a day of salvation I helped you.”

Behold, now is “a favorable time,” behold, now is “a day of salvation”— ³^(E)giving no reason for taking offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited, ⁴but in everything ^(F)commending ourselves as ^[a]^(G)servants of God, ^(H)in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in difficulties, ⁵in ^(I)beatings, in imprisonments, in ^[b]^(J)mob attacks, in labors, in sleeplessness, in ^(K)hunger, ⁶in purity, in ^(L)knowledge, in ^(M)patience, in kindness, in the ^(N)Holy Spirit, in ^(O)genuine love, ⁷in ^(P)the word of truth, and in ^(Q)the power of God; by ^(R)the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left, ⁸by glory and ^(S)dishonor, by ^(T)evil report and good report; regarded as ^(U)deceivers and yet ^(V)true; ⁹as unknown and yet well known, as ^(W)dying and yet behold, ^(X)we are alive; as ^[c]punished and yet not put to death, ¹⁰as ^(Y)sorrowful yet always ^(Z)rejoicing, as ^(AA)poor yet making many rich, as ^(AB)having nothing and yet possessing ^(AC)all things.

¹¹^(AD)Our mouth ^[d]has spoken freely to you, you Corinthians, our ^(AE)heart is opened wide. ¹²You are not restrained ^[e]by us, but ^(AF)you are restrained in your own ^[f]affections. ¹³Now in the same way in ^(AG)exchange—I am speaking as to ^(AH)children—open wide your hearts to us, you as well.

¹⁴^(AI)Do not be ^[g]mismatched with ^(AJ)unbelievers; for what do righteousness and lawlessness ^(AK)share together, or what does light have in common with darkness? ¹⁵Or what ^(AL)harmony does Christ have with ^[h]Belial, or ^[i]what does a ^(AM)believer share with an ^(AN)unbeliever? ¹⁶Or ^(AO)what agreement does ^[j]the temple of God have with idols? For we are ^[k]^(AP)the temple of ^(AQ)the living God; just as God said,

“^(AR)I will ^(AS)dwell among them and ^(AT)walk among them;
And I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
¹⁷^(AU)Therefore, ^(AV)come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord.
“And do not touch what is unclean;
And I will welcome you.
¹⁸^(AW)And I will be a father to you,
And you shall be ^(AX)sons and daughters to Me,”
Says the Lord Almighty.