The Daily Audio Bible

Our Boast As We Endure Our Suffering Is Our Blameless And Forthright Behavior Toward You

¹² For our boasting is this: the testimony of ^[a] our conscience that we conducted-ourselves in the world, and especially toward you, in simplicity^[b] and purity^[c] from God^[d]; and not in fleshly wisdom, but in the grace of God. ¹³ For we are writing no other things to you other than the things which you read or indeed understand. And I hope that you will understand until the end^[e]— ¹⁴ just as you also did understand us in part— that we are your boast, even as you also are ours, on the day of our Lord Jesus.

And In This Confidence I Was Intending To Come To You First, Then Go To Macedonia

¹⁵ And in this confidence, I was intending first^[f] to come to you in order that you might have a second^[g] benefit^[h], ¹⁶ and^[i] to go through you to Macedonia, and from Macedonia to come again to you, and to be sent-forward by you to Judea.

I Do Not Make My Plans Lightly, But I Changed My Plans In Order To Spare You

¹⁷ Therefore, while intending this, I did not then act with lightness, did I ? Or do I plan^[j] the things which I plan according-to the flesh— so that^[k] there is with me the yes, yes, and the no, no? ¹⁸ But as God is faithful^[l], our message to you is not yes and no. ¹⁹ For God’s Son Jesus Christ, the One having been proclaimed among you by us— by me and Silvanus and Timothy— did not become^[m] yes and no, but has become yes in Him. ²⁰ For as many as there are promises of God, in Him is the yes^[n]! Therefore also through Him is [spoken] the amen^[o] to God for His glory, through^[p] us. ²¹ And the One establishing us with you for^[q] Christ and having anointed us is God— ²² the One also having sealed us and given the pledge^[r] of the Spirit in our hearts. ²³ And I call-upon God as witness for my soul that sparing^[s] you I no longer came to Corinth— ²⁴ not that we are lording-over your faith, but we are fellow-workers of ^[t] your joy. For you stand in^[u] your faith^[v].

For I Did Not Want My Coming To Cause You Grief, So I Wrote To You Instead

2 For I determined this for myself: not to come to you again^[w] in grief. ² For if I grieve you, who indeed is the one cheering me except the one being grieved by me? ³ And I wrote this very^[x] thing in order that having come, I should not have grief from the ones of whom I ought-to-have rejoicing— having confidence in you all that my joy^[y] is the joy of you all.

I Wrote To You In Anguish Not To Grieve You, But Out of Love For You

⁴ For I wrote to you through many tears, out of much affliction and anguish of heart— not that you might be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have especially for you. ⁵ But^[z] if anyone has caused-grief, he has grieved not me, but in part^[aa] (that I not be a burden^[ab]), you all. ⁶ This^[ac] punishment by the majority is sufficient^[ad] for such a one, ⁷ so that on-the-contrary^[ae], instead you should forgive and comfort him, that such a one should not somehow be swallowed-up by more grief. ⁸ Therefore I urge you to confirm^[af] your love for him.

I Also Wrote To Test Your Obedience To God

⁹ For I also wrote for this purpose: that I might know your approvedness, whether you are obedient in all things. ¹⁰ And to whom you are forgiving anything, I also. For indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, is for your sakes in the presence of Christ, ¹¹ in order that we may not be exploited by Satan. For we are not unaware as to his schemes.