2 Corinthians 5

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Our Eternal Dwelling

¹For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is dismantled, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.

¹For we know that if our earthly house, the tent, should be torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

²For in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling,

²For also in this we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling that is from heaven,

³because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked.

³if indeed also having been clothed, we will not be found naked.

⁴For while we are in this tent, we groan under our burdens, because we do not wish to be unclothed but clothed, so that our mortality may be swallowed up by life.

⁴For indeed, being in the tent we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that the mortal should be swallowed up by life.

⁵And it is God who has prepared us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a pledge of what is to come.

⁵Now the One having prepared us for this very thing is God, the One having given to us the pledge of the Spirit,

⁶Therefore we are always confident, although we know that while we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord.

⁶being confident, then, always, and knowing that being at home in the body we are away from the Lord.

⁷For we walk by faith, not by sight.

⁸We are confident, then, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

⁸Now we are confident and we are well pleased rather to be away, out of the body, and to be at home with the Lord.

⁹So we aspire to please Him, whether we are at home in this body or away from it.

⁹Therefore also we strive earnestly, whether being at home or being away, to be well-pleasing to Him.

¹⁰For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive his due for the things done in the body, whether good or bad.

¹⁰For it is necessary for us all to appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive back the things done through the body according to what he did, whether good or evil.

Ambassadors for Christ

¹¹Therefore, since we know what it means to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is clear to God, and I hope it is clear to your conscience as well.

¹¹Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men. And we have been made manifest to God, and I hope to have been made manifest in your consciences also.

¹²We are not commending ourselves to you again. Instead, we are giving you an occasion to be proud of us, so that you can answer those who take pride in appearances rather than in the heart.

¹²We do not commend ourselves to you again, but are giving to you occasion of boasting on behalf of us, so that you may have something toward those boasting in appearance and not in heart.

¹³If we are out of our mind, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you.

¹³For if we were beside ourselves, it is to God; and if we are sound-minded, it is for you.

¹⁴For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that One died for all, therefore all died.

¹⁴For the love of Christ compels us, having judged this, that One died for all, therefore all died.

¹⁵And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and was raised again.

¹⁵And He died for all, that those living no longer should live to themselves, but to the One having died for them and having been raised again.

¹⁶So from now on we regard no one according to the flesh. Although we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.

¹⁶Therefore, from now, we know no one according to the flesh. Even if we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.

¹⁷Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.^a The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!

¹⁷Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things passed away; behold, the new things have come into being!

¹⁸All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:

¹⁸Now all things are of God, the One having reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and having given to us the ministry of reconciliation:

¹⁹that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s trespasses against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

¹⁹how that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not reckoning to them their trespasses, and having put into us the word of reconciliation.

²⁰Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ: Be reconciled to God.

²⁰Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God is appealing through us. We implore on behalf of Christ: Be reconciled to God.

²¹God made Him who knew no sin to be sin^a on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

²¹He made the One not having known sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.