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.

Sabemos que, se for destruída a temporária habitação terrena em que vivemos, temos da parte de Deus um edifício, uma casa eterna nos céus, não construída por mãos humanas.

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

Enquanto isso, gememos, desejando ser revestidos da nossa habitação celestial,

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

porque, estando vestidos, não seremos encontrados nus.

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].

Pois, enquanto estamos nesta casa, gememos e nos angustiamos, porque não queremos ser despidos, mas revestidos da nossa habitação celestial, para que aquilo que é mortal seja absorvido pela vida.

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

Foi Deus que nos preparou para esse propósito, dando-nos o Espírito como garantia do que está por vir.

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.

Portanto, temos sempre confiança e sabemos que, enquanto estamos no corpo, estamos longe do Senhor.

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.

Porque vivemos por fé, e não pelo que vemos.

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.

Temos, pois, confiança e preferimos estar ausentes do corpo e habitar com o Senhor.

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

Por isso, temos o propósito de lhe agradar, quer estejamos no corpo, quer o deixemos.

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].

Pois todos nós devemos comparecer perante o tribunal de Cristo, para que cada um receba de acordo com as obras praticadas por meio do corpo, quer sejam boas quer sejam más. O Ministério da Reconciliação

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).

Uma vez que conhecemos o temor ao Senhor, procuramos persuadir os homens. O que somos está manifesto diante de Deus, e esperamos que esteja manifesto também diante da consciência de vocês.

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.

Não estamos tentando novamente recomendar-nos a vocês, porém lhes estamos dando a oportunidade de exultarem em nós, para que tenham o que responder aos que se vangloriam das aparências e não do que está no coração.

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,

Se enlouquecemos, é por amor a Deus; se conservamos o juízo, é por amor a vocês.

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;

Pois o amor de Cristo nos constrange, porque estamos convencidos de que um morreu por todos; logo, todos morreram.

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.

E ele morreu por todos para que aqueles que vivem já não vivam mais para si mesmos, mas para aquele que por eles morreu e ressuscitou.

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.

De modo que, de agora em diante, a ninguém mais consideramos do ponto de vista humano. Ainda que antes tenhamos considerado Cristo dessa forma, agora já não o consideramos assim.

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!

Portanto, se alguém está em Cristo, é nova criação. As coisas antigas já passaram; eis que surgiram coisas novas!

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

Tudo isso provém de Deus, que nos reconciliou consigo mesmo por meio de Cristo e nos deu o ministério da reconciliação,

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).

ou seja, que Deus em Cristo estava reconciliando consigo o mundo, não levando em conta os pecados dos homens, e nos confiou a mensagem da reconciliação.

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.

Portanto, somos embaixadores de Cristo, como se Deus estivesse fazendo o seu apelo por nosso intermédio. Por amor a Cristo lhes suplicamos: Reconciliem-se com Deus.

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.

Deus tornou pecado por nós aquele que não tinha pecado, para que nele nos tornássemos justiça de Deus.