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

For 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.

2 F or indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven,

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

3 i nasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked.

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

4 F or indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life.

For 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].

5 N ow He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.

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

6 T herefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord—

So 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.

7 f or we walk by faith, not by sight—

For 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.

8 w e are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.

we 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.

9 T herefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.

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

10 F or we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

For 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].

11 T herefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences.

Therefore, 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).

12 W e are not again commending ourselves to you but are giving you an occasion to be proud of us, so that you will have an answer for those who take pride in appearance and not in heart.

We 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.

13 F or if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you.

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

14 F or the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died;

For 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;

15 a nd He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.

And 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.

16 T herefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer.

Consequently, 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.

17 T herefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

Therefore 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!

18 N ow all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,

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

19 n amely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

It 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).

20 T herefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

So 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.

21 H e made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

For 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.