Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

¹⁶ So we do not give up. Our body gets weak, but our heart gets new strength day after day.

¹⁷ The load of trouble we carry now is a little heavy. But this trouble is getting something great and wonderful ready for us which will last for ever.

5 Our body is the house in which our spirit lives here on earth. When that house is destroyed, then God will give us another house. That house is not made by man's hand. But God made it. It will last for ever in heaven.

² While we are in the house we have now, we are always crying and wanting to have our house from heaven.

³ When we have moved into it, then we are sure that we will never be left without a house.

⁴ While we are in this house, we cry and are troubled. It is not that we want to move out of this house, but we want to move into the other one. Then this body which will die will be changed into one which will live.

⁵ God is the one who has made us ready for this change. He has already given us the Spirit. This is the first part of what we are to receive, and it proves that we will get more.