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¹ Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints that are in the whole of Achaia:² Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

³ Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort;⁴ who comforts us in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort those that are in any affliction, through the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted of God.⁵ For as the sufferings of Christ abound to us, even so our comfort also abounds through Christ.⁶ But whether we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or whether we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which works in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer:

⁷ and our hope for you is steadfast; knowing that, as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also are you of the comfort.⁸ For we would not have you ignorant, brothers, concerning our affliction which befell [us] in Asia, that we were weighed down exceedingly, beyond our power, insomuch that we despaired even of life:⁹ yes, we ourselves have had the sentence of death inside ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead:¹⁰ who delivered us out of so great a death, and will deliver: on whom we have set our hope that he will also still deliver us;¹¹ you also helping together on our behalf by your supplication; that, for the gift bestowed on us by means of many, thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf.

¹² For our glorifying is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and sincerity of God, and not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we behaved ourselves in the world, and more abundantly toward you.¹³ For we write no other things to you, than what you read or even acknowledge, and I hope you will acknowledge to the end:¹⁴ as also you did acknowledge us in part, that we are your glorying, even as you also are ours, in the day of our Lord Jesus.

¹⁵ And in this confidence I was minded to come first to you, that you might have a second benefit;¹⁶ and by you to pass into Macedonia, and again from Macedonia to come to you, and of you to be set forward on my journey to Judea.¹⁷ When I therefore was thus minded, did I show fickleness? or the things that I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be the yes yes and the no no?¹⁸ But as God is faithful, our word toward you is not yes and no.¹⁹ For God's Son, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, [even] by me and Silvanus and Timothy, was not yes and no, but in him is yes.²⁰ For however many are the promises of God, in him is the yes: therefore also through him is the Amen, to the glory of God through us.²¹ Now he that establishes us with you in Christ, and anointed us, is God;²² who also sealed us, and gave [us] the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.²³ But I call God for a witness on my soul, that to spare you I forbare to come to Corinth.²⁴ Not that we have lordship over your faith, but are co-workers of your joy: for in faith you stand fast.