| International Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Since, then, we are working with God, we plead with you not to accept God's grace in vain. | 1Working together with Him, we also appeal to you, "Don't receive God's grace in vain." |
| 2For he says, "At the right time I heard you, and on a day of salvation I helped you." Listen, now is really the "right time"! Now is the "day of salvation"! | 2For He says: I heard you in an acceptable time, and I helped you in the day of salvation. Look, now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation. |
| 3We do not put an obstacle in anyone's way. Otherwise, fault may be found with our ministry. | 3We give no opportunity for stumbling to anyone, so that the ministry will not be blamed. |
| 4Instead, in every way we demonstrate that we are God's servants by tremendous endurance in the midst of difficulties, hardships, and calamities; | 4But as God's ministers, we commend ourselves in everything: by great endurance, by afflictions, by hardship, by difficulties, |
| 5in beatings, imprisonments, and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights, and hunger; | 5by beatings, by imprisonments, by riots, by labors, by sleepless nights, by times of hunger, |
| 6with purity, knowledge, patience, and kindness; with the Holy Spirit, genuine love, | 6by purity, by knowledge, by patience, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, |
| 7truthful speech, and divine power; through the weapons of righteousness in the right and left hands; | 7by the message of truth, by the power of God; through weapons of righteousness on the right hand and the left, |
| 8through honor and dishonor; through ill repute and good repute; perceived as deceivers and yet true, | 8through glory and dishonor, through slander and good report; as deceivers yet true; |
| 9as unknown and yet well-known, as dying and yet—as you see—very much alive, as punished and yet not killed, | 9as unknown yet recognized; as dying and look--we live; as being disciplined yet not killed; |
| 10as sorrowful and yet always rejoicing, as poor and yet enriching many, as having nothing and yet possessing everything. | 10as grieving yet always rejoicing; as poor yet enriching many; as having nothing yet possessing everything. |
| 11We have spoken frankly to you, Corinthians. Our hearts are wide open. | 11We have spoken openly to you, Corinthians; our heart has been opened wide. |
| 12We have not cut you off, but you have cut off your own feelings toward us. | 12You are not limited by us, but you are limited by your own affections. |
| 13Do us a favor—I ask you as my children—and open wide your hearts. | 13I speak as to my children. As a proper response, you should also be open to us. |
| 14Stop becoming unevenly yoked with unbelievers. What partnership can righteousness have with lawlessness? What fellowship can light have with darkness? | 14Do not be mismatched with unbelievers. For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? |
| 15What harmony exists between the Messiah and Beliar, or what do a believer and an unbeliever have in common? | 15What agreement does Christ have with Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? |
| 16What agreement can a temple of God make with idols? For we are the temple of the living God, just as God said: "I will live and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people." | 16And what agreement does God's sanctuary have with idols? For we are the sanctuary of the living God, as God said: I will dwell among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people. |
| 17Therefore, "Get away from them and separate yourselves from them," declares the Lord, "and don't touch anything unclean. Then I will welcome you. | 17Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord; do not touch any unclean thing, and I will welcome you. |
| 18I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters," declares the Lord Almighty. | 18I will be a Father to you, and you will be sons and daughters to Me, says the Lord Almighty. |
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