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

وَبِما أنَّنا نَعمَلُ مَعاً مَعَ اللهِ، نَحُثُّكُمْ عَلَى أنْ لا تُبَدِّدُوا نِعمَةَ اللهِ الَّتِي نِلتُمُوها.

2 T he 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.”

فَاللهُ يَقُولُ: «فِي وَقتٍ مُناسِبٍ سَمِعْتُكَ، وَفِي يَومِ الخَلاصِ جِئتُ لِمَعُونَتِكَ.» فَها هُوَ الآنَ الوَقتُ المُناسِبُ، وَالآنَ هُوَ يَومُ الخَلاصِ.

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

إنَّنا لا نَضَعُ عَقَبَةً أمامَ أحَدٍ، لِئَلّا تُلامَ خِدمَتُنا.

4 E verything 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.

بَلْ نُظهِرُ أنفُسَنا بِلا مَلامَةٍ مِنْ كُلِّ وَجهٍ كَما يَلِيقُ بِخُدّامِ اللهِ: باحتِمالٍ كَبيرٍ فِي المِحَنِ وَالمَصائِبِ وَالصُّعُوباتِ.

5 W e 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.

فَقَد تَعَرَّضنا لِلضَّربِ الكَثِيرِ وَالحَبسِ المُتَكَرِّرِ، فِي حَمَلاتٍ غاضِبَةٍ ضِدَّنا وَمَشَقّاتٍ كَثيرَةٍ، فِي السَّهَرِ وَالجُوعِ.

6 W e 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.

نُظهِرُ أنَّنا خُدّامُ اللهِ بِنَقائِنا وَمَعرِفَتِنا، بِصَبرِنا وَلُطفِنا، بِمَواهِبِ الرُّوحِ القُدُسِ، وَبِمَحَبَّتِنا الأصيلَةِ،

7 W e 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.

وَبِرِسالَةِ الحَقِّ الَّتِي نَحمِلُها، وَبِقُوَّةِ اللهِ. نَتَسَلَّحُ بِالصَّلاحِ مِنْ كُلِّ جِهَةٍ لِلدِّفاعِ وَالهُجُومِ مَعاً.

8 S ome 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.

نُظهِرُ أنفُسَنا عِندَما يُكرِمُنا النّاسُ وَيُهِينُونَنا، بِصِيتٍ حَسَنٍ أوْ بِصِيتٍ سَيِّئٍ. نُعتَبَرُ مُخادِعِينَ مَعَ أنَّنا صادِقُونَ.

9 S ome 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.

نُعتَبَرُ مَجهُولِينَ مَعَ أنَّنا مَعرُوفُونَ. نَبْدو قَريبينَ مِنَ المَوتِ، لَكِنْ ها نَحنُ أحياءٌ! نُعاقَبُ وَلَكِنَّنا لا نُقتَلُ.

10 W e 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.

كَأنَّنا حَزانَى، مَعَ أنَّنا فِي ابتِهاجٍ دائِمٍ. كَفُقَراءَ، مَعَ أنَّنا نُغنِي كَثِيرِينَ. كَأنَّنا لا نَملِكُ شَيئاً، مَعَ أنَّنا نَملِكُ كُلَّ شَيءٍ.

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

أيُّها الكُورِنْثِيُّونَ، تَحَدَّثنا إلَيكُمْ بِحُرِّيَّةٍ كامِلَةٍ. وَقُلُوبُنا مَفتُوحَةٌ لَكُمْ.

12 O ur hearts are not closed to you. But you have closed your hearts to us.

نَحنُ لا نَبخَلُ عَلَيكُمْ بِمَحَبَّتِنا، أمّا أنتُمْ فَتَبخَلُونَ بِما فِي داخِلِكُمْ.

13 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.

أنا أتَحَدَّثُ إلَيكُمْ كَأبنائِي وَأقُولُ: افتَحُوا أنتُمْ أيضاً قُلُوبَكُمْ لَنا كَما نَحنُ لَكُمْ. تَحذِيرٌ مِنْ غَيرِ المُؤمِنِين

14 D o 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?

لا تَكُونُوا شُرَكاءَ مَعَ غَيرِ المُؤمِنِينَ. فَما الَّذِي يَجمَعُ ما بَينَ الصَّلاحِ وَالإثمِ؟ أوْ أيَّةُ مُشارَكَةٍ بَينَ النُّورِ وَالظُّلمَةِ؟

15 H ow 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?

وَأيُّ اتِّفاقٍ بَينَ المَسِيحِ وَالشَّيطانِ؟ أوْ أيُّ نَصِيبٍ لِلمُؤمِنِ مَعَ غَيرِ المُؤمِنِ؟

16 H ow 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.”

وَأيُّ اتِّحادٍ بَينَ هَيكَلِ اللهِ وَالأوثانِ؟ فَنَحنُ هَيكَلُ اللهِ الحَيِّ. فَكَما قالَ اللهُ: «سَأسكُنُ بَينَهُمْ، وَأسِيرُ بَينَهُمْ. سَأكُونُ إلَهَهُمْ، وَسَيَكُونُونَ شَعبِي.»

17 T he 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.

وَيَقُولُ الرَّبُّ: «فَاخرُجُوا مِنْ وَسَطِهِمْ، وَانفَصِلُوا عَنهُمْ. وَلا تَلمَسُوا فِيما بَعْدُ شَيئاً نَجِساً. حِينَئِذٍ سَأقبَلُكُمْ،

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

وَسَأكُونُ أباً لَكُمْ، وَتَكُونُونَ أبنائِي وَبَناتِي، يَقُولُ الرَّبُّ القادِرُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيءٍ.»