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
Christian Standard Bible
Greeting
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will,(A) and Timothy(B) our[a] brother:
To the church of God at Corinth,(C) with all the saints who are throughout Achaia.(D)
2 Grace to you and peace(E) from God our Father(F) and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The God of Comfort
3 Blessed be(G) the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies(H) and the God of all comfort.(I) 4 He comforts us in all our affliction,[b] so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as the sufferings(J) of Christ(K) overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.(L) 6 If we are afflicted,(M) it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings that we suffer.(N) 7 And our hope(O) for you is firm, because we know that as you share(P) in the sufferings, so you will also share in the comfort.
8 We don’t want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of our affliction that took place in Asia.(Q) We were completely overwhelmed—beyond our strength(R)—so that we even despaired(S) of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death, so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God(T) who raises(U) the dead. 10 He has delivered(V) us from such a terrible death,(W) and he will deliver us. We have put our hope in him that he will deliver us again 11 while you join in helping us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our[c] behalf for the gift that came to us through the prayers of many.
A Clear Conscience
12 Indeed, this is our boast: The testimony(X) of our conscience(Y) is that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you, with godly sincerity and purity, not by human wisdom(Z) but by God’s grace.(AA) 13 For we are writing nothing to you other than what you can read and also understand. I hope you will understand completely— 14 just as you have partially understood us—that we are your reason for pride,(AB) just as you also are ours(AC) in the day of our[d] Lord Jesus.(AD)
A Visit Postponed
15 Because of this confidence, I planned to come to you first,(AE) so that you could have a second benefit,[e] 16 and to visit you on my way to Macedonia,(AF) and then come to you again from Macedonia and be helped by you(AG) on my journey(AH) to Judea.(AI) 17 Now when I planned this, was I of two minds? Or what I plan, do I plan in a purely human[f](AJ) way so that I say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time? 18 As God is faithful,(AK) our message to you is not “Yes and no.” 19 For the Son of God,(AL) Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you—Silvanus,[g](AM) Timothy, and I—did not become “Yes and no.” On the contrary, in him it is always “Yes.”(AN) 20 For every one of God’s promises(AO) is “Yes” in him. Therefore, through him we also say “Amen”(AP) to the glory of God.(AQ) 21 Now it is God who strengthens us together with you in Christ, and who has anointed(AR) us. 22 He has also put his seal on us and given us the Spirit in our hearts(AS) as a down payment.(AT)
23 I call on God as a witness,(AU) on my life, that it was to spare you that I did not come to Corinth.(AV) 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(AW) faith.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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.