| New King James Version | Holman Christian Standard 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 God's will, and Timothy our brother: To God's church at Corinth, with all the saints who are throughout Achaia. |
| 2Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. | 2Grace to you and peace 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, | 3Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies 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. | 4He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God. |
| 5For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. | 5For as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so through Christ our comfort also 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 is experienced in your endurance of the same sufferings that we suffer. |
| 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 firm, because we know that as you share in the sufferings, so you will share in the 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. | 8For we don't want you to be unaware, brothers, of our affliction that took place in Asia: we were completely overwhelmed--beyond our strength--so that we even despaired 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 personally had a death sentence within ourselves, so 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 terrible death, and He will deliver us. We have put our hope in Him that He will deliver us again |
| 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. | 11while you join in helping us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gift that came to us through the prayers of many. |
| 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. | 12For this is our confidence: The testimony of our conscience is that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you, with God-given sincerity and purity, not by fleshly wisdom but by God's grace. |
| 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 | 13Now we are writing nothing to you other than what you can read and also understand. I hope you will understand 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 partially understood us--that we are your reason for pride, as you are ours, 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— | 15I planned with this confidence to come to you first, so you could have a double benefit, |
| 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. | 16and to go on to Macedonia with your help, then come to you again from Macedonia and be given a start by you on my journey 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? | 17So when I planned this, was I irresponsible? Or what I plan, do I plan in a purely human way so that I say "Yes, yes" and "No, no" simultaneously? |
| 18But as God is faithful, our word to you was not Yes and No. | 18As 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 preached among you by us--by me and Silvanus and Timothy--did not become "Yes and no"; on the contrary, a final "Yes" has come in Him. |
| 20For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. | 20For every one of God's promises is "Yes" in Him. Therefore, the "Amen" is also spoken through Him by us for God's glory. |
| 21Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, | 21Now it is God who strengthens us, with you, in Christ and has anointed us. |
| 22who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. | 22He has also sealed us and given us the Spirit as a down payment in our hearts. |
| 23Moreover I call God as witness against my soul, that to spare you I came no more to Corinth. | 23I call on God as a witness, on my life, that it was to spare you that I did not come to Corinth. |
| 24Not that we have dominion over your faith, but are fellow workers for your joy; for by faith you stand. | 24I do not mean that we have control of your faith, but we are workers with you for your joy, because you stand by faith. |
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