God of All Comfort

1 Paul, ^(A)an apostle of ^(B)Christ Jesus ^(C)by the will of God, and ^(D)Timothy our brother,

To ^(E)the church of God which is at ^(F)Corinth with all the ^[a]saints who are throughout ^(G)Achaia:

^2 (H)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

^3 (I)Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and ^(J)God of all comfort, ⁴ who ^(K)comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in ^[b]any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. ⁵ For just ^(L)as the sufferings of Christ abound to us, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. ⁶ But whether we are afflicted, it is ^(M)for your comfort and salvation; or whether we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is working in your perseverance in the same sufferings which we also suffer. ⁷ And our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that ^(N)as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort.

⁸ For ^(O)we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of our ^(P)affliction which came to us in ^[c](Q)Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even to live. ^9 [d]Indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not have confidence in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; ¹⁰ who ^(R)rescued us from so great a peril of death, and will rescue us, ^[e]He ^(S)on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet rescue us, ¹¹ you also joining in ^(T)helping us through your prayers on our behalf, so that thanks may be given on our behalf by ^(U)many persons for the gracious gift bestowed on us through the prayers of many.

Paul’s Change of Plans

¹² For our boasting is this: the testimony of ^(V)our conscience, that in ^[f]holiness and ^(W)godly sincerity, ^(X)not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you. ¹³ For we write nothing else to you than what you read and understand, and I hope you will understand ^(Y)until the end, ¹⁴ just as you also partially did understand us, that we are your reason for boasting as you also are ours, in ^(Z)the day of our Lord Jesus.

¹⁵ And in this confidence I intended at first to ^(AA)come to you, so that you might receive ^[g](AB)grace twice; ^16 [h]that is, to ^(AC)pass ^[i]your way into ^(AD)Macedonia, and again from Macedonia to come to you, and by you to be ^(AE)helped on my journey to Judea. ¹⁷ Therefore, was I vacillating when I intended to do this? Or what I purpose, do I purpose ^(AF)according to the flesh, so that with me there will be yes, yes and no, no at the same time? ¹⁸ But as ^(AG)God is faithful, ^(AH)our word to you is not yes and no. ¹⁹ For ^(AI)the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me and ^(AJ)Silvanus and ^(AK)Timothy—was not yes and no, but has become yes ^(AL)in Him. ²⁰ For ^(AM)as many as are the promises of God, ^(AN)in Him they are yes. Therefore also through Him is ^(AO)our Amen to the glory of God through us. ²¹ Now He who ^(AP)establishes us with you in Christ and ^(AQ)anointed us is God, ²² who also ^(AR)sealed us and ^(AS)gave the ^[j]pledge of the Spirit in our hearts.

²³ But ^(AT)I call God as witness ^[k]to my soul, that ^(AU)to spare you I did not come again to ^(AV)Corinth. ²⁴ Not that we ^(AW)lord it over your faith, but are workers with you for your joy; for in your faith you are ^(AX)standing firm.