2 Corinthians 1 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

Paul, an ambassador of the One Jesus by the will of God, along with our brother Timothy — to the gathered community of God in Corinth, together with all of God's people throughout the region of Achaia:

May you experience undeserved kindness and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus, the One.

All praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus, the One — the Father who is compassionate beyond measure, the God who is the source of all comfort.

He comforts us in every crushing situation we face, so that we can comfort others in any crushing situation they face, using the same comfort we ourselves have received from God.

Because just as the sufferings of the One overflow into our lives, so through the One, our comfort overflows just as much.

If we go through crushing times, it is for your comfort and rescue. If we experience comfort, that is also for your comfort — a comfort that gives you the strength to endure the same kinds of suffering we face.

And our confidence in you is rock-solid, because we know that just as you share in the suffering, you also share in the comfort.

We don't want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of the crushing pressure we experienced in the province of Asia. We were weighed down far beyond what we could handle — so much that we weren't sure we would even survive.

In fact, in our hearts we felt like we had received a death sentence. But this happened so that we would not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.

He rescued us from a deadly situation, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him that he will continue to rescue us,

as you also join in helping us through your prayers. Then many people will give thanks on our behalf for the generous gift given to us through the prayers of so many.

Here is what we are proud of: Our conscience confirms that we have conducted ourselves in the world — and especially toward you — with the integrity and sincerity that come from God, not with worldly cleverness but with God's undeserved kindness.

We are not writing you anything that you can't read and understand. And I'm confident that you will come to understand fully,

just as you have already partially understood us — that on the day of the Lord Jesus, we are your source of pride just as you are ours.

Because I was so confident about this, I planned to visit you first so you could experience a double benefit —

I planned to visit you on my way to Macedonia, then visit you again on my way back from Macedonia, and have you send me on my way to Judea.

So when I made these plans, was I being flaky? Or do I make my plans the way the world does — saying "Yes, yes" and "No, no" at the same time?

But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you has not been "yes" and "no" at the same time.

Because the Son of God, Jesus the One — who Silvanus, Timothy, and I proclaimed among you — was not "yes" and "no." In him it has always been "yes."

For every one of God's promises finds its "yes" in him. That is why through him we say "Amen" — which means "yes, it is true" — to the glory of God.

Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in the One. He is the one who anointed us,

set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Breath in our hearts as a guarantee of what is to come.

I call God as my witness — and I stake my life on it — that the reason I did not come back to Corinth was to spare you.

We are not trying to dictate your faith — you are standing firm in your faith on your own. Instead, we are partners working together for your joy.