1 O ra, essendo suoi collaboratori, vi esortiamo a non ricevere invano la grazia di Dio,

We are working together with God. We ask you from our hearts not to receive God’s loving-favor and then waste it.

2 p erché egli dice: «Io ti ho esaudito nel tempo accettevole e ti ho soccorso nel giorno della salvezza». Ecco ora il tempo accettevole, ecco ora il giorno della salvezza.

The Holy Writings say, “I heard you at the right time. I helped you on that day to be saved from the punishment of sin. Now is the right time! See! Now is the day to be saved.”

3 N oi non diamo alcun motivo di scandalo in nessuna cosa, affinché non sia vituperato il ministero;

We do not want to put anything in the way that would keep people from God. We do not want to be blamed.

4 m a in ogni cosa raccomandiamo noi stessi come ministri di Dio nelle molte sofferenze, nelle afflizioni, nelle necessità, nelle distrette,

Everything we do shows we are God’s servants. We have had to wait and suffer. We have needed things. We have been in many hard places and have had many troubles.

5 n elle battiture, nelle prigionie, nelle sedizioni, nelle fatiche, nelle veglie, nei digiuni,

We have been beaten. We have been put in prison. We have been in fights. We have worked hard. We have stayed awake watching. We have gone without food.

6 c on purità, con conoscenza, con pazienza, con benignità, con lo Spirito Santo, con amore non finto,

We have been pure. We have known what to do. We have suffered long. We have been kind. The Holy Spirit has worked in us. We have had true love.

7 c on la parola di verità, con la potenza di Dio, con le armi della giustizia a destra ed a sinistra,

We have spoken the truth. We have God’s power. We have the sword of being right with God in the right hand and in the left hand.

8 n ella gloria e nel disonore, nella buona e nella cattiva fama;

Some men respect us and some do not. Some men speak bad against us and some thank us. They say we lie, but we speak the truth.

9 c ome seduttori, eppure veraci, come sconosciuti, eppure riconosciuti, come morenti, eppure ecco viviamo; come castigati, ma pure non messi a morte;

Some men act as if they do not know us. And yet we are known by everyone. They act as if we were dead, but we are alive. They try to hurt and destroy us, but they are not able to kill us.

10 c ome contristati, eppure sempre allegri; come poveri eppure arricchendo molti; come non avendo nulla, eppure possedendo tutto.

We are full of sorrow and yet we are always happy. We are poor and yet we make many people rich. We have nothing and yet we have everything.

11 L a nostra bocca vi ha parlato apertamente, o Corinzi, il nostro cuore si è allargato.

We have spoken to you who are in the city of Corinth with plain words. Our hearts are wide open.

12 V oi non state allo stretto in noi, ma è nei vostri cuori che siete allo stretto.

Our hearts are not closed to you. But you have closed your hearts to us.

13 O ra in contraccambio, parlo come a figli, allargate il cuore.

I am speaking to you now as if you were my own children. Open your hearts wide to us! That will pay us back for what we have done for you.

14 N on vi mettete con gli infedeli sotto un giogo diverso, perché quale relazione c'è tra la giustizia e l'iniquità? E quale comunione c'è tra la luce e le tenebre?

Do not be joined together with those who do not belong to Christ. How can that which is good get along with that which is bad? How can light be in the same place with darkness?

15 E quale armonia c'è fra Cristo e Belial? O che parte ha il fedele con l'infedele?

How can Christ get along with the devil? How can one who has put his trust in Christ get along with one who has not put his trust in Christ?

16 E quale accordo c'è tra il tempio di Dio e gli idoli? Poiché voi siete il tempio del Dio vivente, come Dio disse: «Io abiterò in mezzo a loro, e camminerò fra loro; e sarò il loro Dio, ed essi saranno il mio popolo».

How can the house of God get along with false gods? We are the house of the living God. God has said, “I will live in them and will walk among them. I will be their God and they will be My people.”

17 P erciò «uscite di mezzo a loro e separatevene, dice il Signore, e non toccate nulla d'immondo, ed io vi accoglierò,

The Lord has said, “So come out from among them. Do not be joined to them. Touch nothing that is sinful. And I will receive you.

18 e sarò come un padre per voi, e voi sarete per me come figli e figlie, dice il Signore Onnipotente».

I will be a Father to you. You will be My sons and daughters, says the All-powerful God.”