2 Corinthians 1
English Standard Version
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.
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
- 2 Corinthians 1:5 Or For as the sufferings of Christ abound for us, so also our comfort abounds through Christ
- 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
- 2 Corinthians 1:12 Some manuscripts holiness
- 2 Corinthians 1:22 Or down payment
2 Corinthians 1
New King James Version
Greeting
1 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:
2 (D)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Comfort in Suffering
3 (E)Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 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. 5 For as (G)the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our [b]consolation also abounds through Christ. 6 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. 7 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
8 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. 9 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
- 2 Corinthians 1:4 tribulation
- 2 Corinthians 1:5 comfort
- 2 Corinthians 1:8 tribulation
- 2 Corinthians 1:10 NU shall
- 2 Corinthians 1:11 M your behalf
- 2 Corinthians 1:12 The opposite of duplicity
- 2 Corinthians 1:18 message
- 2 Corinthians 1:24 rule
Kehillah in Corinth II 1
Orthodox Jewish Bible
1 From Sha’ul, a Shliach of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua birtzon Hashem (by the will of G-d), and Timotiyos, the Ach b’Moshiach; To the Kehillah (Congregation) of Hashem existing in Corinth, with all the Kadoshim throughout Achaia.
2 Chen v’Chesed Hashem to you and shalom from Elohim Avinu and Adoneinu Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua.
3 Baruch hu Hashem Elohim Avi of Adoneinu Yehoshua, Avi HaRachamim vaElohei kol nechamah (comfort), [TEHILLIM 103:13; YESHAYAH 66:13]
4 The one giving us chizzuk (strengthening) with respect to all our tzoros so as to enable us to give chizzuk to the ones experiencing tzoros, and that through the nechamah (comfort) by which we ourselves are comforted (1:3) by Hashem. [YESHAYAH 49:13; 51:12; 66:13]
5 This is so because as the Chevlei Moshiach (birth pangs of Moshiach) abound to us, so through Moshiach abounds also our nechamah (1:3; YESHAYAH 51:12). [TEHILLIM 34:19; 94:19]
6 Now if we are experiencing tzoros, it is for your chizzuk (strengthening) and Yeshu’at Eloheinu; or if we are being given nechamah (comfort), it is for your nechamah that is producing in you the chozek (strength) of zitzfleisch (patience) for the endurance of the tzoros which we also suffer. [1Th 3:3]
7 And our tikvah (hope) for you is well-founded, for we have da’as that as you have deveykus (cleaving to) the Chevlei Moshiach, so also you will have deveykus to the nechamah.
8 For we do not want you to lack da’as, Achim b’Moshiach, as to the tzoros and tribulation that came upon us in Asia [Ac 19:23; 1C 15:32], that utterly beyond our strength we were burdened, causing us to come to a feeling of ye’ush (despair) even of being able to stay alive.
9 But we ourselves have had the gezar din (verdict) of mishpat mavet (a death sentence) in ourselves so that we should not have emunah (faith) in ourselves but in Hashem, Mechayyei Mesim (Who Revivest the Dead). [Shemoneh Esreh, YIRMEYAH 17:5,7]
10 The same G-d out of so great a Mavet delivered us and will continue to deliver us. We have set tikvateinu (our hope) that he will yet deliver us, [2 Ti 4:18]
11 As you also labor together for us by techinnah (supplication), so that the "Modeh Ani" for us will be said by the many (YESHAYAH 53:11-12) for the matanah (gift) granted us through the tefillos of the many.
12 For our glorying is in this: the edut (testimony) of our matzpun (conscience) [MJ 13:18] is that without remiyah (guile, fraud, deceit) and with lev tahor ("pure heart" TEHILLIM 51:12) with the sincerity of Hashem [2C 2:17] and not in the "chochmah" of the basar [1C 1:17] but in the Chen v’Chesed of Hashem, we conducted ourselves in the Olam Hazeh, and more especially toward you.
13 For we write nothing so shver (complex) to you that you cannot read and have binah (understanding), and I have tikvah that you will have da’as shlemah until HaKetz,
14 As you have already had da’as of us in part, as also we are your kavod [2C 5:12], even as also you are ours in the Yom Hashem of Adoneinu Yehoshua. [Pp 2:16]
15 And with this bitachon (confidence) I planned previously to come to you, that a second benefit you might have.
16 It was my cheshbon (plan) to visit you by way of Macedonia and again from Macedonia to come to you, and by you to be sent on to Yehudah (Judea Ac 19:21; 1C 16:5,6).
17 This was my matarah (aim, goal); surely then I did not act with vacillation? Or when I make plans [2C 5:16], do I have a cheshbon according to the basar, ready with "Ken, Ken!" and then, "Lo! Lo!"
18 Al emunat Hashem (in the faithfulness of G-d), our dvar to you has not been "Ken" and "Lo."
19 For the Ben HaElohim, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua, the One having been proclaimed among you by us, by Sila and Timotiyos and me [Ac 18:5], was not a "Ken and Lo"; but in Him it has always been "Ken."
20 For in Moshiach every one of Hashem’s havtachot (promises) is a "Ken." For this reason it is b’Shem Moshiach that we say the "Omein" to the kavod of Hashem [1C 14:16; Rv 3:14].
21 But it is Hashem who establishes us with you in Moshiach and has given us the mishchah (anointing 1Y 2:27),
22 Having put his chotam [seal of ownership BERESHIS 38:18; YECHEZKEL 9:4; Ep 1:13; 4:30; Rv 7:4] on us and having given the eravon (pledge) of the Ruach Hakodesh in our levavot. (hearts Ro 8:16; 2C 5:5; Ep 1:14). [BERESHIS 38:18; YECHEZKEL 9:4; CHAGGAI 2:23]
23 Now, I call upon Hashem as eidus (witness) against my nefesh, my neshamah (soul), that it was to spare you that I did not come again to Corinth. [Ro 1:9; 2C 11:31; Pp 1:8; 1Th 2:5,10]
24 Not that we play the gontser macher to domineer over your emunah (faith) [1K 5:3], but we are fellow po’alim for your simcha, for by emunah you stand.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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