1 L aboring together with Him then, we beg of you not to receive the grace of God in vain '> merciful kindness by which God exerts His holy influence on souls and turns them to Christ, keeping and strengthening them—do not receive it to no purpose].

And working together with him we entreat also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain

2 F or He says, In the time of favor (of an assured welcome) I have listened to and heeded your call, and I have helped you on the day of deliverance (the day of salvation). Behold, now is truly the time for a gracious welcome and acceptance; behold, now is the day of salvation!

(for he saith, At an acceptable time I hearkened unto thee, And in a day of salvation did I succor thee: behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation):

3 W e put no obstruction in anybody’s way, so that no fault may be found and ministry blamed and discredited.

giving no occasion of stumbling in anything, that our ministration be not blamed;

4 B ut we commend ourselves in every way as servants of God: through great endurance, in tribulation and suffering, in hardships and privations, in sore straits and calamities,

but in everything commending ourselves, as ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,

5 I n beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless watching, hunger;

in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in watchings, in fastings;

6 B y innocence and purity, knowledge and spiritual insight, longsuffering and patience, kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in unfeigned love;

in pureness, in knowledge, in long suffering, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in love unfeigned,

7 B y the word of truth, in the power of God, with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left hand;

in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,

8 A mid honor and dishonor; in defaming and evil report and in praise and good report. as deceivers (impostors), and truthful and honest.

by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true;

9 a s unknown and ignored, and well-known and recognized; as dying, and yet here we are alive; as chastened by suffering and not killed;

as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;

10 A s grieved and mourning, yet always rejoicing; as poor bestowing riches on many; as having nothing, and possessing all things.

as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

11 O ur mouth is open to you, Corinthians, and our heart is expanded wide!

Our mouth is open unto you, O Corinthians, our heart is enlarged.

12 T here is no lack of room for you in, but you lack room in your own affections.

Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own affections.

13 B y way of return then, do this for me—I speak as to children—open wide your hearts also.

Now for a recompense in like kind (I speak as unto my children), be ye also enlarged.

14 D o not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership have right living and right standing with God with iniquity and lawlessness? Or how can light have fellowship with darkness?

Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? or what communion hath light with darkness?

15 W hat harmony can there be between Christ and Belial ? Or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?

And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what portion hath a believer with an unbeliever?

16 W hat agreement a temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God; even as God said, I will dwell in and with and among them and will walk in and with and among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

And what agreement hath a temple of God with idols? for we are a temple of the living God; even as God said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

17 S o, come out from among, and separate (sever) yourselves from them, says the Lord, and touch not unclean thing; then I will receive you kindly and treat you with favor,

Wherefore Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, And touch no unclean thing; And I will receive you,

18 A nd I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.

And will be to you a Father, And ye shall be to me sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.