| Holman Christian Standard Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1This is the third time I am coming to you. Every fact must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. | 1This is the third time I am coming to visit you (and as the Scriptures say, “The facts of every case must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses” ). |
| 2I gave a warning when I was present the second time, and now I give a warning while I am absent to those who sinned before and to all the rest: If I come again, I will not be lenient, | 2I have already warned those who had been sinning when I was there on my second visit. Now I again warn them and all others, just as I did before, that next time I will not spare them. |
| 3since you seek proof of Christ speaking in me. He is not weak toward you, but powerful among you. | 3I will give you all the proof you want that Christ speaks through me. Christ is not weak when he deals with you; he is powerful among you. |
| 4In fact, He was crucified in weakness, but He lives by God's power. For we also are weak in Him, yet toward you we will live with Him by God's power. | 4Although he was crucified in weakness, he now lives by the power of God. We, too, are weak, just as Christ was, but when we deal with you we will be alive with him and will have God’s power. |
| 5Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith. Examine yourselves. Or do you yourselves not recognize that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless you fail the test. | 5Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you ; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith. |
| 6And I hope you will recognize that we do not fail the test. | 6As you test yourselves, I hope you will recognize that we have not failed the test of apostolic authority. |
| 7Now we pray to God that you do nothing wrong--not that we may appear to pass the test, but that you may do what is right, even though we may appear to fail. | 7We pray to God that you will not do what is wrong by refusing our correction. I hope we won’t need to demonstrate our authority when we arrive. Do the right thing before we come—even if that makes it look like we have failed to demonstrate our authority. |
| 8For we are not able to do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. | 8For we cannot oppose the truth, but must always stand for the truth. |
| 9In fact, we rejoice when we are weak and you are strong. We also pray that you become fully mature. | 9We are glad to seem weak if it helps show that you are actually strong. We pray that you will become mature. |
| 10This is why I am writing these things while absent, that when I am there I will not use severity, in keeping with the authority the Lord gave me for building up and not for tearing down. | 10I am writing this to you before I come, hoping that I won’t need to deal severely with you when I do come. For I want to use the authority the Lord has given me to strengthen you, not to tear you down. Paul’s Final Greetings |
| 11Finally, brothers, rejoice. Become mature, be encouraged, be of the same mind, be at peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you. | 11Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you. |
| 12Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you. | 12Greet each other with a sacred kiss. |
| 13The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you. | 13All of God’s people here send you their greetings. |
| 14 | 14 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. |
| Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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