2 Corinthians 5-9

21st Century King James Version

5 For we know that if our earthly house, this tabernacle, were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

² For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed about with our house which is from Heaven,

³ that, being so clothed, we shall not be found naked.

⁴ For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened, not because we would be unclothed, but clothed about, that mortality might be swallowed up by life.

⁵ Now He that hath wrought us for this selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the pledge of the Spirit.

⁶ Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord;

⁷ for we walk by faith, not by sight.

⁸ We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

⁹ Therefore we labor, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted by Him.

¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to what he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

¹¹ Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God, and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

¹² For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have something to answer those who glory in appearance and not in heart.

¹³ For if we be beside ourselves, it is for God; if we be soberminded, it is for your cause.

¹⁴ For the love of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge that if One died for all, then all were dead;

¹⁵ and that He died for all, that those who live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him who died for them and rose again.

¹⁶ Therefore, henceforth know we no man according to the flesh; yea, though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now henceforth we know Him so no more.

¹⁷ Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things have become new.

¹⁸ And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation,

¹⁹ to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath committed unto us the Word of reconciliation.

²⁰ Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were beseeching you by us: we pray you on Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

²¹ For He hath made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

6 We then, as workers together with Him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.

² (For He saith, “I have heard thee at an accepted time, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee.” Behold, now is the accepted time! Behold, now is the day of salvation!)

³ Give no offense in anything, that the ministry be not blamed;

⁴ but in all things commending ourselves as the ministers of God in much patience: in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,

⁵ in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings;

⁶ by pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,

⁷ by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left;

⁸ through honor and dishonor, through evil report and good report; though counted as deceivers and yet true,

⁹ as unknown and yet well known, as dying and yet behold we live, as chastened and not killed,

¹⁰ as sorrowful yet always rejoicing; as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing and yet possessing all things.

¹¹ O ye Corinthians, our mouth is opened unto you, and our heart is enlarged.

¹² Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own affections.

¹³ Now as a recompense for this (I speak as unto my children), be ye also enlarged.

¹⁴ Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?

¹⁵ And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

¹⁶ And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God. As God hath said: “I will dwell in them and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”

¹⁷ Therefore, “Come out from among them, and be ye separate,” saith the Lord. “And touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you,

¹⁸ and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters,” saith the Lord Almighty.

7 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

² Receive us: we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man.

³ I speak this not to condemn you, for I have said before that ye are in our hearts, to die and live with you.

⁴ Great is my boldness of speech toward you; great is my glorying of you. I am filled with comfort; I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation.

⁵ For when we had come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side: without were fightings, within were fears.

⁶ Nevertheless God, who comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus;

⁷ and not by his coming only, but also by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you when he told us of your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me, so that I rejoiced the more.

⁸ For though I caused you sorrow with a letter, I do not now repent, though I did repent; for I perceive that the same epistle hath caused you sorrow, though it were but for a season.

⁹ Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorrowful, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For ye were made sorrowful in a godly manner, that ye might receive injury from us in nothing.

¹⁰ For godly sorrow is not to be repented of, but worketh repentance unto salvation; but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

¹¹ For behold this selfsame thing, when ye sorrowed in a godly manner: what earnest concern it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what requital! In all these things ye have proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

¹² Therefore, though I wrote unto you, I did not do so for the sake of him who had done the wrong, nor for his sake who suffered wrong, but that our concern for you in the sight of God might appear unto you.

¹³ Therefore we were comforted in your comfort. Yea, we rejoiced exceedingly more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit was refreshed by you all.

¹⁴ For if I have boasted anything to him of you, I am not ashamed, but as we spoke all things to you in truth, even so our boasting, which I made before Titus, is found to be true.

¹⁵ And his inward affection is more abundant toward you whilst he remembereth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him.

¹⁶ I rejoice therefore that I have confidence in you in all things.

8 Moreover, brethren, we want you to know of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia:

² how in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.

³ For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing to give of themselves,

⁴ praying us with earnest entreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of ministering to the saints.

⁵ And this they did, not as we had hoped, but first they gave themselves to the Lord and unto us by the will of God,

⁶ insomuch that we urged Titus that, as he had begun, so he would finish in you the same grace also.

⁷ Therefore as ye abound in everything — in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us — see that ye abound in this grace also.

⁸ I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forthcoming of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.

⁹ For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich.

¹⁰ And herein I give my advice, for this is expedient for you, who began earlier not only to do, but also to be in the forefront a year ago.

¹¹ Now therefore perform the doing of it, that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have.

¹² For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what a man hath, and not according to what he hath not.

¹³ For I do not mean that other men should be eased and ye burdened,

¹⁴ but that there be an equality: that now at this time your abundance may supply their want, that their abundance may also supply your want, that there may be equality.

¹⁵ As it is written: “He that had gathered much had nothing left over, and he that had gathered little had no lack.”

¹⁶ But thanks be to God who put the same earnest care into the heart of Titus for you.

¹⁷ For indeed he accepted the exhortation, but being even more zealous, of his own accord he went unto you.

¹⁸ And we have sent with him the brother, whose praise is in the Gospel throughout all the churches.

¹⁹ And not that only, but he was also chosen by the churches to travel with us with this grace, which is administered by us to the glory of the same Lord, and to declare your ready mind.

²⁰ For we are avoiding having any man blame us in this abundance which is administered by us,

²¹ providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord but also in the sight of men.

²² And we have sent with them our brother, whom we have oftentimes proved to be diligent in many things, but now much more diligent because of the great confidence which I have in you.

²³ If any should inquire about Titus, he is my partner and fellow helper concerning you. Or if our brethren be inquired about, they are the messengers of the churches and the glory of Christ.

²⁴ Therefore show ye to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love and of our boasting on your behalf.

9 Now concerning the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you.

² For I know the forwardness of your thinking, for which I boast of you to those of Macedonia that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath called forth very many.

³ Yet I have sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you on this account should be in vain, that, as I said, ye may be ready;

⁴ lest it might happen, if those of Macedonia come with me and find you unprepared, that we (that we say not “ye”) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting.

⁵ Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go ahead unto you and make up your bounty beforehand (whereof ye had notice beforehand), that the same might be ready as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness.

⁶ But this I say: He who soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly, and he who soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

⁷ As every man purposeth in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly or out of compulsion; for God loveth the cheerful giver.

⁸ And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound in every good work.

⁹ As it is written: “He hath dispersed abroad, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness remaineth for ever.”

¹⁰ Now may He that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness,

¹¹ ye being enriched in everything to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.

¹² For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also in much thanksgiving unto God,

¹³ while by the experience of this ministration they glorify God for your freely declared subjection unto the Gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them and unto all men,

¹⁴ and by their prayer for you, they who long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you.

¹⁵ Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift!