2 Corinthians 6

Modern

Literal

Paul’s Hardships and God’s Grace

¹As God’s fellow workers,^a then, we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.

¹And working together, we also exhort you not to receive the grace of God in vain.

²For He says:

“In the time of favor I heard you,

and in the day of salvation I helped you.”^a

Behold, now is the time of favor; now is the day of salvation!

²For He says: “In the acceptable time I listened to you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

³We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no one can discredit our ministry.

³We are giving no cause of stumbling among anyone, so that the ministry should not be blamed,

⁴Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships, and calamities;

⁴but in everything we are commending ourselves as God’s servants: in much endurance, in tribulations, in hardships, in distresses;

⁵in beatings, imprisonments, and riots; in labor, sleepless nights, and hunger;

⁵in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleepless nights, in fastings;

⁶in purity, knowledge, patience, and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love;

⁶in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness; in the Holy Spirit, in sincere love;

⁷in truthful speech and in the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left;

⁷in the word of truth, in the power of God; through the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left;

⁸through glory and dishonor, slander and praise; viewed as imposters, yet genuine;

⁸through glory and dishonor, through bad report and good report; as imposters yet true;

⁹unknown, yet well-known; dying, and yet we live on; punished, yet not killed;

⁹as being unknown yet being well-known; as dying, yet behold, we live; as being disciplined yet not being put to death;

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

¹⁰as being sorrowful yet always rejoicing; as poor yet enriching many; as having nothing and yet possessing everything.

¹¹We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians. Our hearts are open wide.

¹¹Our mouth has been open to you, Corinthians; our heart has been enlarged.

¹²It is not our affection, but yours, that is restrained.

¹²You are not restrained by us, but you are restrained in your own inner parts.

¹³As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also.

¹³Now as the same recompense—I speak as to children—you be enlarged also.

Do Not Be Unequally Yoked

¹⁴Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?

¹⁴Do not become unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?

¹⁵What harmony is there between Christ and Belial?^a Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?

¹⁵And what harmony has Christ with Beliar? Or what part to a believer is with an unbeliever?

¹⁶What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

“I will dwell with them

and walk among them,

and I will be their God,

and they will be My people.”^a

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

¹⁷“Therefore come out from among them

and be separate, says the Lord.

Touch no unclean thing,

and I will receive you.”^a

¹⁷“Therefore come out from their midst and be separate, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”

¹⁸And:

“I will be a Father to you,

and you will be My sons and daughters,

says the Lord Almighty.”^a

¹⁸And: “I will be for a Father to you, and you will be for sons and daughters to Me, says the Lord Almighty.”