| King James Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. | 1As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it. |
| 2(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) | 2For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation. Paul’s Hardships |
| 3Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: | 3We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry. |
| 4But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, | 4In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. |
| 5In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; | 5We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food. |
| 6By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, | 6We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love. |
| 7By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, | 7We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense. |
| 8By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; | 8We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. |
| 9As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; | 9We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed. |
| 10As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. | 10Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything. |
| 11O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged. | 11Oh, dear Corinthian friends! We have spoken honestly with you, and our hearts are open to you. |
| 12Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels. | 12There is no lack of love on our part, but you have withheld your love from us. |
| 13Now for a recompence in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged. | 13I am asking you to respond as if you were my own children. Open your hearts to us! The Temple of the Living God |
| 14Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? | 14Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? |
| 15And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? | 15What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil ? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? |
| 16And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. | 16And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. |
| 17Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, | 17Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the LORD. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. |
| 18And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. | 18And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty. ” |
| King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. | 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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