2 Corinthians 4 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

So since God, in his mercy, has given us this work to do, we don't lose heart.

Instead, we've rejected the shameful things people do in secret. We don't use tricks, and we don't twist God's message. The opposite — by laying the truth out in the open, we put ourselves before the conscience of every person, with God as our witness.

And even if our good news is veiled, it's veiled only to those who are headed for destruction —

the god of this age has blinded the minds of those who won't believe, so they can't see the light of the good news about the greatness of The One, who is the visible image of God.

Because we're not promoting ourselves — we're announcing Jesus as Master, and ourselves as your servants because of Jesus.

Because the same God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness" has flooded our hearts with light — so we could see and share the knowledge of God's greatness, shining in the face of Jesus, The One.

But we carry this treasure in clay jars — to make it clear that this extraordinary power comes from God, not from us.

We're pressed hard from every side, but not crushed. We're confused, but not in despair.

We're hunted down, but not abandoned. We're knocked to the ground, but not destroyed.

We always carry around in our bodies the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus can also be seen in our bodies.

Because we who are alive are constantly being handed over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life can show through our mortal bodies.

So death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

But we have the same spirit of trust that the Scripture talks about when it says, "I trusted, and so I spoke." We also trust, and so we also speak —

because we know that the one who raised Jesus from death will raise us too, along with Jesus, and will bring us together with you into his presence.

Because all of this is for your benefit, so that as God's generous favor spreads to more and more people, thankfulness will overflow even more — and bring even greater honor to God.

That's why we don't lose heart. Even though our outer selves are wearing out, our inner selves are being renewed day after day.

Because our present troubles are light and temporary, but they're producing for us a greatness that is beyond all comparison and lasts forever.

So we don't focus on what we can see, but on what we can't see. Because what we can see is temporary, but what we can't see lasts forever.