1 O ur body is like a house we live in here on earth. When it is destroyed, we know that God has another body for us in heaven. The new one will not be made by human hands as a house is made. This body will last forever.

For we have known that if our earthly house of the tabernacle may be thrown down, a building from God we have, an house not made with hands -- age-during -- in the heavens,

2 R ight now we cry inside ourselves because we wish we could have our new body which we will have in heaven.

for also in this we groan, with our dwelling that is from heaven earnestly desiring to clothe ourselves,

3 W e will not be without a body. We will live in a new body.

if so be that, having clothed ourselves, we shall not be found naked,

4 W hile we are in this body, we cry inside ourselves because things are hard for us. It is not that we want to die. Instead, we want to live in our new bodies. We want this dying body to be changed into a living body that lasts forever.

for we also who are in the tabernacle do groan, being burdened, seeing we wish not to unclothe ourselves, but to clothe ourselves, that the mortal may be swallowed up of the life.

5 I t is God Who has made us ready for this change. He has given us His Spirit to show us what He has for us.

And He who did work us to this self-same thing God, who also did give to us the earnest of the Spirit;

6 W e are sure of this. We know that while we are at home in this body we are not with the Lord.

having courage, then, at all times, and knowing that being at home in the body, we are away from home from the Lord, --

7 O ur life is lived by faith. We do not live by what we see in front of us.

for through faith we walk, not through sight --

8 W e are sure we will be glad to be free of these bodies. It will be good to be at home with the Lord.

we have courage, and are well pleased rather to be away from the home of the body, and to be at home with the Lord.

9 S o if we stay here on earth or go home to Him, we always want to please Him.

Wherefore also we are ambitious, whether at home or away from home, to be well pleasing to him,

10 F or all of us must stand before Christ when He says who is guilty or not guilty. Each one will receive pay for what he has done. He will be paid for the good or the bad done while he lived in this body.

for all of us it behoveth to be manifested before the tribunal of the Christ, that each one may receive the things through the body, in reference to the things that he did, whether good or evil;

11 B ecause of this, we know the fear of God. So we try to get men to put their trust in Christ. God knows us. I hope that your hearts know me well also.

having known, therefore, the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, and to God we are manifested, and I hope also in your consciences to have been manifested;

12 W e do not want to sound as if we think we are so important. Instead, we are making it easy for you to be proud of us. In that way, you will be able to tell them about us. They always talk about the way people look, but do not care about their hearts.

for not again ourselves do we recommend to you, but we are giving occasion to you of glorifying in our behalf, that ye may have in reference to those glorifying in face and not in heart;

13 A re we crazy to talk like this? It is all because of what God has done. If we are using our minds well, it is for you.

for whether we were beside ourselves, to God; whether we be of sound mind -- to you,

14 F or the love of Christ puts us into action. We are sure that Christ died for everyone. So, because of that, everyone has a part in His death.

for the love of the Christ doth constrain us, having judged thus: that if one for all died, then the whole died,

15 C hrist died for everyone so that they would live for Him. They should not live to please themselves but for Christ Who died on a cross and was raised from the dead for them.

and for all he died, that those living, no more to themselves may live, but to him who died for them, and was raised again.

16 S o from now on, we do not think about what people are like by looking at them. We even thought about Christ that way one time. But we do not think of Him that way anymore.

So that we henceforth have known no one according to the flesh, and even if we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know him no more;

17 F or if a man belongs to Christ, he is a new person. The old life is gone. New life has begun.

so that if any one in Christ -- a new creature; the old things did pass away, lo, become new have the all things.

18 A ll this comes from God. He is the One Who brought us to Himself when we hated Him. He did this through Christ. Then He gave us the work of bringing others to Him.

And the all things of God, who reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and did give to us the ministration of the reconciliation,

19 G od was in Christ. He was working through Christ to bring the whole world back to Himself. God no longer held men’s sins against them. And He gave us the work of telling and showing men this.

how that God was in Christ -- a world reconciling to Himself, not reckoning to them their trespasses; and having put in us the word of the reconciliation,

20 W e are Christ’s missionaries. God is speaking to you through us. We are speaking for Christ and we ask you from our hearts to turn from your sins and come to God.

in behalf of Christ, then, we are ambassadors, as if God were calling through us, we beseech, in behalf of Christ, `Be ye reconciled to God;'

21 C hrist never sinned but God put our sin on Him. Then we are made right with God because of what Christ has done for us.

for him who did not know sin, in our behalf He did make sin, that we may become the righteousness of God in him.