The Second to the Corinthians

6 Working together with him,+ we also urge you not to accept the undeserved kindness of God and miss its purpose.+ 2 For he says: “In an acceptable time I heard you, and in a day of salvation I helped you.”+ Look! Now is the especially acceptable time. Look! Now is the day of salvation.

3 In no way are we giving any cause for stumbling, so that no fault may be found with our ministry;+ 4 but in every way we recommend ourselves as God’s ministers,+ by the endurance of much, by tribulations, by times of need, by difficulties,+ 5 by beatings, by imprisonments,+ by riots, by hard work, by sleepless nights, by times without food;+ 6 by purity, by knowledge, by patience,+ by kindness,+ by holy spirit, by love free from hypocrisy,+ 7 by truthful speech, by God’s power;+ through the weapons of righteousness+ in the right hand* and in the left,* 8 through glory and dishonor, through bad report and good report. We are regarded as deceivers and yet we are truthful, 9 as unknown and yet we are recognized, as dying* and yet look! we live,+ as punished* and yet not handed over to death,+ 10 as sorrowing but ever rejoicing, as poor but making many rich, as having nothing and yet possessing all things.+

11 We have opened our mouth to speak* to you, Corinthians, and we have opened wide our heart. 12 We are not restricted in* our affections for you,+ but you are restricted in your own tender affections for us. 13 So in response—I speak as to my children—you too open your hearts wide.*+

14 Do not become unevenly yoked* with unbelievers.+ For what fellowship do righteousness and lawlessness have?+ Or what sharing does light have with darkness?+ 15 Further, what harmony is there between Christ and Beʹli·al?*+ Or what does a believer* share in common* with an unbeliever?+ 16 And what agreement does God’s temple have with idols?+ For we are a temple of a living God;+ just as God said: “I will reside among them+ and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”+ 17 “‘Therefore, get out from among them, and separate yourselves,’ says Jehovah,* ‘and quit touching the unclean thing’”;+ “‘and I will take you in.’”+ 18 “‘And I will become a father to you,+ and you will become sons and daughters to me,’+ says Jehovah,* the Almighty.”