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.

¶ We then, as workers together with him, exhort you also that ye have not received the grace of God in vain.

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.”

(For he saith, I have heard thee in an acceptable time, and in the day of saving health I have succoured thee; behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of saving health.)

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.

Giving no offense in anything, that the ministry not be blamed,

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.

But in all things showing ourselves as the ministers of God in much patience, in tribulations, in necessities, in distresses,

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.

in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings,

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.

in chastity, in knowledge, in meekness, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in unfeigned charity,

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.

in the word of truth, in the power of God through the weapons of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,

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.

through honour and dishonour, through evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet as men of the truth;

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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?

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship does righteousness have with unrighteousness? and what communion does light have with darkness?

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?

And what concord does Christ have with Belial? or what part do the faithful have with the unfaithful?

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.”

And what agreement does the temple of God have with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God has said, I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

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.

Therefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and do not touch the unclean thing; and I will receive you

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

and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.