| New King James Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia: | 1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God in Corinth, together with all the saints throughout Achaia: |
| 2Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. | 2Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. |
| 3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, | 3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, |
| 4who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. | 4who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. |
| 5For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. | 5For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. |
| 6Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. | 6If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which accomplishes in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we experience. |
| 7And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation. | 7And our hope for you is sure, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you will share in our comfort. |
| 8For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. | 8We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the hardships we encountered in the province of Asia. We were under a burden far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. |
| 9Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, | 9Indeed, we felt we were under the sentence of death, in order that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God, who raises the dead. |
| 10who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us, | 10He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. In Him we have placed our hope that He will yet again deliver us, |
| 11you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many. | 11as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the favor shown us in answer to their prayers. |
| 12For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you. | 12And this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in relation to you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God—not in worldly wisdom, but in the grace of God. |
| 13For we are not writing any other things to you than what you read or understand. Now I trust you will understand, even to the end | 13For we do not write you anything that is beyond your ability to read and understand. And I hope that you will understand us completely, |
| 14(as also you have understood us in part), that we are your boast as you also are ours, in the day of the Lord Jesus. | 14as you have already understood us in part, so that you may boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of our Lord Jesus. |
| 15And in this confidence I intended to come to you before, that you might have a second benefit— | 15Confident of this, I planned to visit you first, so that you might receive a double blessing. |
| 16to pass by way of you to Macedonia, to come again from Macedonia to you, and be helped by you on my way to Judea. | 16I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia, and to return to you from Macedonia, and then to have you help me on my way to Judea. |
| 17Therefore, when I was planning this, did I do it lightly? Or the things I plan, do I plan according to the flesh, that with me there should be Yes, Yes, and No, No? | 17When I planned this, did I do it carelessly? Or do I make my plans by human standards, so as to say “Yes, yes” when I really mean “No, no”? |
| 18But as God is faithful, our word to you was not Yes and No. | 18But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.” |
| 19For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me, Silvanus, and Timothy—was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes. | 19For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was proclaimed among you by me and Silvanus and Timothy, was not “Yes” and “No,” but in Him it has always been “Yes.” |
| 20For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. | 20For all the promises of God are “Yes” in Christ. And so through Him, our “Amen” is spoken to the glory of God. |
| 21Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, | 21Now it is God who establishes both us and you in Christ. He anointed us, |
| 22who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. | 22placed His seal on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a pledge of what is to come. |
| 23Moreover I call God as witness against my soul, that to spare you I came no more to Corinth. | 23I call God as my witness that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth. |
| 24Not that we have dominion over your faith, but are fellow workers for your joy; for by faith you stand. | 24Not that we lord it over your faith, but we are fellow workers with you for your joy, because it is by faith that you stand firm. |
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