1 F or we know that if the tent which is our earthly home is destroyed (dissolved), we have from God a building, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

For we know that if the earthly house of our tabernacle be dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens.

2 H ere indeed, in this, we sigh and groan inwardly, because we yearn to be clothed over with our heavenly dwelling,

For verily in this we groan, longing to be clothed upon with our habitation which is from heaven:

3 S o that by putting it on we may not be found naked (without a body).

if so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked.

4 F or while we are still in this tent, we groan under the burden and sigh deeply (weighed down, depressed, oppressed)—not that we want to put off the body (the clothing of the spirit), but rather that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal (our dying body) may be swallowed up by life '> after the resurrection].

For indeed we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened; not for that we would be unclothed, but that we would be clothed upon, that what is mortal may be swallowed up of life.

5 N ow He Who has fashioned us for this very thing is God, Who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

Now he that wrought us for this very thing is God, who gave unto us the earnest of the Spirit.

6 S o then, we are always full of good and hopeful and confident courage; we know that while we are at home in the body, we are abroad from the home with the Lord.

Being therefore always of good courage, and knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord

7 F or we walk by faith '> regulate our lives and conduct ourselves by our conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things, with trust and holy fervor; thus we walk] not by sight or appearance.

(for we walk by faith, not by sight);

8 w e have confident and hopeful courage and are pleased rather to be away from home out of the body and be at home with the Lord.

we are of good courage, I say, and are willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be at home with the Lord.

9 T herefore, whether we are at home or away from home, we are constantly ambitious and strive earnestly to be pleasing to Him.

Wherefore also we make it our aim, whether at home or absent, to be well-pleasing unto him.

10 F or we must all appear and be revealed as we are before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive according to what he has done in the body, whether good or evil '> what his purpose and motive have been, and what he has achieved, been busy with, and given himself and his attention to accomplishing].

For we must all be made manifest before the judgment-seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

11 T herefore, being conscious of fearing the Lord with respect and reverence, we seek to win people over. But what sort of persons we are is plainly recognized and thoroughly understood by God, and I hope that it is plainly recognized and thoroughly understood also by your consciences (your inborn discernment).

Knowing therefore the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest unto God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences.

12 W e are not commending ourselves to you again, but we are providing you with an occasion and incentive to be proud of us, so that you may have a reply for those who pride themselves on surface appearances '> on the virtues they only appear to have], although their heart is devoid of them.

We are not again commending ourselves unto you, but speak as giving you occasion of glorying on our behalf, that ye may have wherewith to answer them that glory in appearance, and not in heart.

13 F or if we are beside ourselves, it is for God and concerns Him; if we are in our right mind, it is for your benefit,

For whether we are beside ourselves, it is unto God; or whether we are of sober mind, it is unto you.

14 F or the love of Christ controls and urges and impels us, because we are of the opinion and conviction that One died for all, then all died;

For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that one died for all, therefore all died;

15 A nd He died for all, so that all those who live might live no longer to and for themselves, but to and for Him Who died and was raised again for their sake.

and he died for all, that they that live should no longer live unto themselves, but unto him who for their sakes died and rose again.

16 C onsequently, from now on we estimate and regard no one from a human point of view. even though we once did estimate Christ from a human viewpoint and as a man, yet now we know Him no longer.

Wherefore we henceforth know no man after the flesh: even though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now we know him so no more.

17 T herefore if any person is in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!

Wherefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature: the old things are passed away; behold, they are become new.

18 B ut all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation.

But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and gave unto us the ministry of reconciliation;

19 I t was God in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself, not counting up and holding against their trespasses, and committing to us the message of reconciliation (of the restoration to favor).

to wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not reckoning unto them their trespasses, and having committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

20 S o we are Christ’s ambassadors, God making His appeal as it were through us. We beg you for His sake to lay hold of the divine favor and be reconciled to God.

We are ambassadors therefore on behalf of Christ, as though God were entreating by us: we beseech you on behalf of Christ, be ye reconciled to God.

21 F or our sake He made Christ to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become '> endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of] the righteousness of God.

Him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; that we might become the righteousness of God in him.