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We are working together [C with fellow believers, or with God, or with Christ], so we ·beg [urge; appeal to; encourage] you: Do not ·let the grace that you received from God be for nothing [L receive God’s grace in vain]. [L For] God says,

“At the ·right [favorable; acceptable] time I heard your prayers.
    On the day of salvation I helped you [Is. 49:8].”

·I tell you that [T Behold; L Look] the “·right [favorable; acceptable] time” is now, ·and [T behold; L look] the “day of salvation” is now.

We try not to ·be a problem [cause offense; place an obstacle/stumbling block] for anyone in any way, so that no one will find fault with our ·work [ministry]. But in every way ·we show we are servants of God [or as God’s servants/ministers, we commend ourselves]: ·in accepting many hard things [in/with great endurance], in ·troubles [trials; tribulation], in ·difficulties [hardships; times of need], ·and in great problems [in distress/calamities/L tight spots]. ·We are beaten [L …in beatings/floggings] ·and thrown into prison [L in imprisonments]. ·We meet those who become upset with us and start riots [L …in riots/rebellions]. ·We work hard [L …in hard labors], ·and sometimes we get no sleep [L …in sleepless nights] ·or food [L …in hunger]. ·We show we are servants of God by our pure lives [L …in/by purity; C Paul continues the same list, but moves to positive character traits], ·our understanding [L …in/by knowledge], patience, and kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by ·true [sincere; unhypocritical] love, by ·speaking the truth [or the message/word of truth; C the Gospel], and by God’s power. ·We use our right living [L …with weapons of righteousness] ·to defend ourselves against everything [or both to attack (with a sword) and defend (with a shield); L in our right hands and in our left]. ·Some people honor us, but others blame us [L …through honor/glory and dishonor/disgrace…]. ·Some people say evil things about us, but others say good things [L …through slander and praise…]. ·Some people say we are liars, but we speak the truth [L …(treated) as deceivers, yet true…]. ·We are not known, but we are well known [L …as unknown, yet known…]. ·We seem to be dying, but we continue to live [L …as dying, yet look/behold we live!]. ·We are punished [L …as punished/scourged], but we are not killed. 10 ·We have much sadness [L …as sorrowful/grieving], but we are always rejoicing. ·We are poor [L …as poor], but we are making many people ·rich in faith [L rich]. ·We have [L …as having] nothing, but really we have everything.

11 We have spoken ·freely [openly; frankly] to you, ·Corinthian friends [L Corinthians], and have opened our hearts to you. 12 ·Our feelings of love for you have not stopped [We have not withheld our affection from you; L You are not constrained/held back by us], but you have ·stopped your feelings of love [L constrained/held back your affection] for us. 13 I speak to you ·as if you were [L as] my children. ·Do to us as we have done [As a fair exchange]—open your hearts to us [v. 11].

Warning About Non-Christians

14 Do not ·join yourselves to [become partners with; L be mismatched/unevenly yoked with] unbelievers. ·Good and bad do not belong together [L For what partnership has righteousness and wickedness/lawlessness?]. ·Light and darkness cannot share together [Or what fellowship/partnership can light have with darkness?]. 15 How can Christ and Belial [C the devil; Satan] have any ·agreement [harmony; accord]? What can a believer ·have together [share in common] with a nonbeliever? 16 What ·agreement [union] can the temple of God have with idols? For we are the temple of the living God [1 Cor. 3:16]. As God said: “I will live with them and walk with them. And I will be their God, and they will be my people [Lev. 26:11–12; Jer. 32:38; Ezek. 37:27].”

17 [L Therefore] ·Leave those people [L Come out from their midst],
    and be separate, says the Lord.
Touch nothing that is ·unclean [polluted, defiled],
    and I will ·accept [receive; welcome] you [Is. 52:11; Ezek. 20:41].”
18 “I will be your father,
    and you will be my sons and daughters,
    says the Lord Almighty [2 Sam. 7:14].”

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