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2 Corinthians 1:23-2:4
Christian Standard Bible
2 Corinthians 1:23-2:4
Christian Standard Bible
23 I call on God as a witness,(A) on my life, that it was to spare you that I did not come to Corinth.(B) 24 I do not mean that we lord it over your faith, but we are workers with you for your joy, because you stand firm in your(C) faith.
2 In fact, I made up my mind about this: I would not come to you on another painful visit.[a] 2 For if I cause you pain, then who will cheer me other than the one being hurt by me?[b] 3 I wrote this very thing so that when I came I wouldn’t have pain from those who ought to give me joy, because I am confident(D) about all of you that my joy will also be yours. 4 For I wrote to you with many tears out of an extremely troubled and anguished heart—not to cause you pain, but that you should know the abundant love I have for you.
2 Corinthians 1:23-2:4
Lexham English Bible
2 Corinthians 1:23-2:4
Lexham English Bible
23 But I call upon God as witness against my life, that in order to[a] spare you, I did not come again to Corinth. 24 Not that we lord it over your faith, but we are fellow workers for your joy, because by faith you stand firm.
2 For I have decided this for myself, not to come to you again in sorrow. 2 For if I cause you sorrow, then who will make me glad except the one who is caused to be sad by me? 3 And I wrote this very thing in order that when I[b] came, I would not experience sorrow from those who ought to have made me glad, because I[c] have confidence about you all, that my joy belongs to all of you[d]. 4 For out of great distress and anguish of heart I wrote to you through many tears, not so that you may be caused to be sad, but so that you may know the love that I have especially for you.
Footnotes
- 2 Corinthians 1:23 Here “in order to” is supplied as a component of the participle (“spare”) which is understood as purpose
- 2 Corinthians 2:3 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“came”) which is understood as temporal
- 2 Corinthians 2:3 Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“have confidence”) which is understood as causal
- 2 Corinthians 2:3 Literally “is of all of you”
2 Corinthians 1:23-2:4
New International Version
2 Corinthians 1:23-2:4
New International Version
23 I call God as my witness(A)—and I stake my life on it—that it was in order to spare you(B) that I did not return to Corinth. 24 Not that we lord it over(C) your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm.(D) 2 1 So I made up my mind that I would not make another painful visit to you.(E) 2 For if I grieve you,(F) who is left to make me glad but you whom I have grieved? 3 I wrote as I did,(G) so that when I came I would not be distressed(H) by those who should have made me rejoice. I had confidence(I) in all of you, that you would all share my joy. 4 For I wrote you(J) out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you.
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
Lexham English Bible (LEB)
2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.