2 Corinthians 1-4

Wycliffe Bible

1 Paul, apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, and Timothy, brother, to the church of God that is at Corinth, with all saints that be in all Achaia,

² grace to you, and peace of God our Father and of the Lord Jesus Christ.

³ Blessed be God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Father of mercies, and God of all comfort,

⁴ which comforteth us in all our tribulation, that also we be able to comfort them, that be in all dis-ease, by the admonishing by which also we be admonished of God [that and we may comfort them, that be in all pressure, or overlaying, by the exhortation, or admonishing, by which and we be admonished of God].

⁵ For as the passions of Christ be plenteous in us, so also by Christ our comfort is plenteous.

⁶ And whether we be in tribulation, for your tribulation and health, either we be comforted, for your comfort^[a], either we be admonished, for your admonishing and health. Which worketh in you the suffering of the same passions, which also we suffer,

⁷ that our hope be firm for you; witting for as ye be fellows of passions, so ye shall be also of comfort.

⁸ For, brethren, we will that ye know of our tribulation, that was done in Asia; for over measure we were grieved over might, so that it distressed us, yea, to live.^[b]

⁹ But we in us selves had answer of death, that we trust not in us, but in God that raiseth dead men. [But we ourselves in ourselves had answer, or certainty, of death, that we be not trusting in ourselves, but in God that raiseth dead men.]

¹⁰ Which delivered us, and delivereth from so great perils, into whom we hope, also yet he shall deliver,

¹¹ while also ye help in prayer for us [helping and you in prayer for us]; that of the persons of many faces of that giving that is in us, thankings be done for us by many men to God [by many partners, graces, or thanks, be done to God for us].

¹² For our glory is this, the witnessing of our conscience, that in simpleness and cleanness of God, and not in fleshly wisdom, but in the grace of God, we lived in this world, but more plenteously to you.

¹³ And we write not other things to you, than those that ye have read and know, and I hope that into the end ye shall know,

¹⁴ as also ye have known us a part [as and ye have known us of part]; for we be your glory, as also ye be ours in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

¹⁵ And in this trusting I would first come to you, that ye should have the second grace,

¹⁶ and pass by you into Macedonia, and again from Macedonia come to you, and of you be led into Judaea.

¹⁷ But when I would this thing, whether I used unsteadfastness, either those things that I think, I think after the flesh, that at me be, it is and it is not?^[c]

¹⁸ But God is true, for our word that was at you, is and is not, is not therein, but is is in it.^[d]

¹⁹ For why Jesus Christ, the Son of God, which is preached among you by us, by me, and Silvanus, and Timothy, there was not in him, is and is not, but is was in him^[e].

²⁰ For why how many ever be promises of God, in that is, be fulfilled [Forsooth how many ever be promises of God, in him is, that is, in him they be fulfilled]. And therefore by him we say Amen to God, to our glory.

²¹ Soothly it is God that confirmeth us with you in Christ, and which anointed us, [The which soothly confirmeth us with you in Christ, and the which God anointed us,]

²² and which marked us [and that marked us], and gave earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

²³ For I call God to witness against my soul [Forsooth I in-call God witness into my soul], that I sparing you came not over to Corinth;

²⁴ not that we be lords of your faith [not for we be lords of your faith], but we be helpers of your joy; for through belief ye stand.

2 And I ordained this [same] thing at me, that I should not come again in heaviness to you [in sorrow to you].

² For if I make you sorry, who is he that gladdeth me, but he that is sorrowful of me?

³ And this same thing I wrote to you, that when I come, I have not sorrow on sorrow, of the which it behooved me to have joy. And I trust in you all, that my joy is of all you^[f].

⁴ For of much tribulation and anguish of heart I wrote to you by many tears, not that ye be sorry, but that ye know what charity I have more plenteously in you.

⁵ For if any man hath made me sorrowful, he hath not made me sorrowful but a part [he hath not made me sorrowful but in part], that I charge not you all.

⁶ This blaming that is made of many, sufficeth to him, that is such one [that is such a manner man];

⁷ so that on the contrary ye rather forgive and comfort, lest peradventure he that is such a manner man, be swallowed up [be sopped up, or despair,] by more great heaviness.

⁸ For which thing I beseech you, that ye confirm charity into him.

⁹ For why therefore [and] I wrote this, that I know your proof, whether in all things ye be obedient.

¹⁰ For to whom ye have forgiven any thing, also I have forgiven. For I, that that I forgave, if I forgave any thing, have forgiven for you in the person of Christ,

¹¹ that we be not deceived of Satan; for we know his thoughts. [that we be not deceived of Satan; soothly we unknow not his thoughts.]

¹² But when I was come to Troas [Forsooth when I had come to Troas] for the gospel of Christ, and a door was opened to me in the Lord,

¹³ I had not rest to my spirit, for I found not my brother Titus, but I said to them farewell, and I passed into Macedonia. [I had not rest in my spirit, for I found not my brother Titus, but I saying to them farewell, passed into Macedonia.]

¹⁴ And I do thankings to God, that evermore maketh us to have victory in Christ Jesus, and showeth by us the odour of his knowing in each place;^[g]

¹⁵ for we be the good odour of Christ to God, among these that be made safe, and among these that perish. [for we be the good odour, or savour, of Christ to God, in these that be made safe, and in these that perish.]

¹⁶ To others soothly odour of death into death [Soothly to others we be odour of death into death], but to the others we be odour of life into life. And to these things who is so able?

¹⁷ For we be not as many, that do adultery by the word of God, but we speak of cleanness, as of God, before God in Christ. [Soothly we be not as full many, adulterating the word of God, but of cleanness, but as of God, before God in Christ we speak.]

3 Begin we therefore again to praise us selves? or whether we need, as some men, epistles of praising to you, or of you? [Begin we again to commend, or praise, ourselves? or whether we need, as some, praising letters to you, or of you?]

² Ye be our epistle, written in our hearts, which is known and read of all men,

³ and made open [and ye be made open], for ye be the epistle of Christ ministered of us, and written, not with ink, but by the Spirit of the living God; not in stone tables [not in stony tables], but in fleshly tables of heart.

⁴ For we have such trust by Christ to God;

⁵ not that we be sufficient to think any thing of us[selves], as of us, but our sufficience is of God.

⁶ Which also made us able ministers of the new testament, not by letter, but by Spirit; for the letter slayeth, but the Spirit quickeneth.

⁷ And if the ministration of death written by letter in stones [formed by letters in stones] was in glory, so that the children of Israel might not behold into the face of Moses, for the glory of his face, which is voided^[h],

⁸ how shall not the ministration of the Spirit be more in glory?

⁹ For if the ministration of condemnation was in glory [For why if the ministration of condemnation is in glory], much more the ministration of rightwiseness is plenteous in glory.

¹⁰ For neither that that was clear was glorified in this part for the excellent glory;

¹¹ and if that that is voided [for why if that that is voided], was by glory, much more that that dwelleth still is in glory.

¹² Therefore we that have such hope, use much trust;

¹³ and not as Moses laid a veil on his face [and not as Moses put a veil on his face], that the children of Israel should not behold into his face, which veil is voided.

¹⁴ But the wits of them be astonished; for [till] into this day the same veil in [the] reading of the old testament dwelleth not showed [dwelleth unshowed], for it is voided in Christ,

¹⁵ but [till] into this day, when Moses is read, the veil is put on their hearts [the veil is put upon their hearts].

¹⁶ But when Israel shall be converted to God, the veil shall be done away.

¹⁷ And the Spirit is the Lord; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.^[i]

¹⁸ And all we that with open face see the glory of the Lord, be transformed into the same image, from clearness into clearness, as of the Spirit of the Lord. [Forsooth all we with showed face beholding the glory of the Lord, be transformed into the same image, from clearness to clearness, as of the Spirit of the Lord.]

4 Therefore we that have this administration [Therefore we having this administration, or office], after this that we have gotten mercy, fail we not,

² but do we away the privy things of shame, not walking in subtle guile, neither doing adultery by the word of God, but in showing of the truth commending us selves to each conscience of men before God. [but do away the privy things of shame, not walking in subtle guile, neither adulterating the word of God, but in showing of the truth commending ourselves to each conscience of men before God.]

³ For if also our gospel is covered, or hid, in these that perish it is covered;

⁴ in which [the] god of this world, that is, the devil, hath blinded the souls of unfaithful men, that the lightening of the gospel of the glory of Christ, which is the image of God, shine not.^[j]

⁵ But we preach not us selves, but our Lord Jesus Christ [Soothly we preach not ourselves, but Jesus Christ our Lord]; and us your servants by Jesus.

⁶ For God, that said [the] light to shine of darknesses, he hath given light in our hearts, to the lightening of the science of the clearness of God [he hath enlightened in our hearts, to the illumining of the science of the clearness of God], in the face of Jesus Christ.

⁷ And we have this treasure in brittle vessels, that the worthiness be of God's virtue [that the highness be of God's virtue], and not of us.

⁸ In all things we suffer tribulation, but we be not anguished, or distressed; we be made poor, but we lack nothing;^[k]

⁹ we suffer persecution, but we be not forsaken; we be made low, but we be not confounded; we be cast down, but we perish not.

¹⁰ And evermore we bear about the slaying of Jesus in our body [Evermore bearing about the mortifying of Jesus Christ in our body], that also the life of Jesus be showed in our bodies.

¹¹ For evermore we that live, be taken into death for Jesus, that [and] the life of Jesus be showed in our deadly flesh.

¹² Therefore death worketh in us, but life in you.

¹³ And we have the same spirit of faith [Forsooth having the same spirit of faith], as it is written, I have believed, wherefore I have spoken; and we believe, wherefore also we speak;

¹⁴ witting that he that raised Jesus, shall raise up also us with Jesus, and shall ordain [us] with you.

¹⁵ And all things [be done] for you, that a plenteous grace by many thankings be plenteous into the glory of God. [Soothly all things be done for you, that grace being plenteous by many in doing of thanks be plenteous into glory of God.]

¹⁶ For which thing we fail not, for though [but though] our outer man be corrupted; nevertheless the inner man is renewed from day to day.

¹⁷ But that light thing [light, or easy, thing] of our tribulation that lasteth now, but as it were by a moment, worketh in us over measure an everlasting burden into the highness of glory [worketh over manner, or measure, into highness the everlasting weight of glory in us];

¹⁸ while that we behold not those things that be seen, but those [things] that be not seen. For those things that be seen, be but during for a short time; but those things that be not seen, be everlasting^[l].