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¹ For we know that if the earthly house of our tabernacle is dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens.² For truly in this we groan, longing to be clothed on with our habitation which is from heaven:³ if so be that being unclothed we shall not be found naked.⁴ For indeed we that are in this tabernacle groan, being burdened; not that we want to be unclothed, but that we want to be clothed, that what is mortal may be swallowed up of life.⁵ Now he that worked us for this very thing is God, who gave to us the earnest of the Spirit.⁶ Being therefore always of good courage, and knowing that, while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord⁷ (for we walk by faith, not by sight);⁸ we are of good courage, I say, and are willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be at home with the Lord.⁹ Therefore we also make it our aim, whether at home or absent, to be well-pleasing to him.¹⁰ For we must all be made manifest before the judgment-seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things [done] in the body, according to what he has done, whether [it is] good or bad.¹¹ Knowing therefore the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences.

¹² We are not again commending ourselves to you, but [speak] as giving you occasion of glorying on our behalf, that you may have the means to answer those that glory in appearance, and not in heart.¹³ For whether we are beside ourselves, it is to God; or whether we are of sober mind, it is to you.¹⁴ For the love of Christ constrains us; because we thus judge, that one died for all, therefore all died;¹⁵ and he died for all, that those that live should no longer live to themselves, but to him who for their sakes died and rose again.

¹⁶ Therefore we from now on know no man after the flesh: even though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now we know [him so] no more.¹⁷ Therefore if any man is in Christ, [he is] a new creation: the old things are passed away; look, they have become new.¹⁸ But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and gave to us the service of reconciliation;¹⁹ to wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not reckoning to them their trespasses, and having committed to us the word of reconciliation.²⁰ We are ambassadors therefore on behalf of Christ, as though God were entreating by us: we urge [you] on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.²¹ Him who knew no sin he made [to be] sin on our behalf; that we might become the righteousness of God in him.