1 T his is the third time that I am coming to you. By the testimony of two or three witnesses must any charge and every accusing statement be sustained and confirmed.

This third time do I come unto you; on the mouth of two witnesses or three shall every saying be established;

2 I have already warned those who sinned formerly and all the rest also, and I warn them now again while I am absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that if I come back, I will not spare,

I have said before, and I say before, as being present, the second time, and being absent, now, do I write to those having sinned before, and to all the rest, that if I come again, I will not spare,

3 S ince you desire and seek proof of the Christ Who speaks in and through me. is not weak and feeble in dealing with you, but is a mighty power within you;

since a proof ye seek of the Christ speaking in me, who to you is not infirm, but is powerful in you,

4 F or though He was crucified in weakness, yet He goes on living by the power of God. And though we too are weak in Him, yet in dealing with you alive and strong in Him by the power of God.

for even if he was crucified from infirmity, yet he doth live from the power of God; for we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him from the power of God toward you.

5 E xamine and test and evaluate your own selves to see whether you are holding to your faith and showing the proper fruits of it. Test and prove yourselves '> not Christ]. Do you not yourselves realize and know that Jesus Christ is in you—unless you are disapproved on trial and rejected?

Your ownselves try ye, if ye are in the faith; your ownselves prove ye; do ye not know your ownselves, that Jesus Christ is in you, if ye be not in some respect disapproved of?

6 B ut I hope you will recognize and know that we are not disapproved on trial and rejected.

and I hope that ye shall know that we -- we are not disapproved of;

7 B ut I pray to God that you may do nothing wrong, not in order that we '> our teaching] may appear to be approved, but that you may continue doing right, we may seem to have failed and be unapproved.

and I pray before God that ye do no evil, not that we may appear approved, but that ye may do that which is right, and we may be as disapproved;

8 F or we can do nothing against the Truth '> not serve any party or personal interest], but only for the Truth '> which is the Gospel].

for we are not able to do anything against the truth, but for the truth;

9 F or we are glad when we are weak ( unapproved) and you are really strong. And this we also pray for: your all-round strengthening and perfecting of soul.

for we rejoice when we may be infirm, and ye may be powerful; and this also we pray for -- your perfection!

10 S o I write these things while I am absent from you, that when I come to you, I may not have to deal sharply in my use of the authority which the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.

because of this, these things -- being absent -- I write, that being present, I may not treat sharply, according to the authority that the Lord did give me for building up, and not for casting down.

11 F inally, brethren, farewell (rejoice)! Be strengthened (perfected, completed, made what you ought to be); be encouraged and consoled and comforted; be of the same mind one with another; live in peace, and the God of love and the Author and Promoter of peace will be with you.

Henceforth, brethren, rejoice; be made perfect, be comforted, be of the same mind, be at peace, and the God of the love and peace shall be with you;

12 G reet one another with a consecrated kiss.

salute one another in an holy kiss;

13 A ll the saints (the people of God here) salute you.

salute you do all the saints;

14 T he grace (favor and spiritual blessing) of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the presence and fellowship (the communion and sharing together, and participation) in the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen (so be it).

the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, with you all! Amen.