2 Corinthians 6:1-10

New Living Translation

6 As God’s partners,^[a] we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it. ²For God says,

“At just the right time, I heard you.
On the day of salvation, I helped you.”^[b]

Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.

Paul’s Hardships

³We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry. ⁴In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. ⁵We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food. ⁶We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us,^[c] and by our sincere love. ⁷We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense. ⁸We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. ⁹We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed. ¹⁰Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything.

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Footnotes

6:1 Or As we work together.
6:2 Isa 49:8 (Greek version).
6:6 Or by our holiness of spirit.

2 Corinthians 6:1-10

New International Version

6 As God’s co-workers^(A) we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.^(B) ²For he says,

“In the time of my favor I heard you,
and in the day of salvation I helped you.”^[a]^(C)

I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.

Paul’s Hardships

³We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path,^(D) so that our ministry will not be discredited. ⁴Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; ⁵in beatings, imprisonments^(E) and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger;^(F) ⁶in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit^(G) and in sincere love;^(H) ⁷in truthful speech^(I) and in the power of God;^(J) with weapons of righteousness^(K) in the right hand and in the left; ⁸through glory and dishonor,^(L) bad report^(M) and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors;^(N) ⁹known, yet regarded as unknown; dying,^(O) and yet we live on;^(P) beaten, and yet not killed; ¹⁰sorrowful, yet always rejoicing;^(Q) poor, yet making many rich;^(R) having nothing,^(S) and yet possessing everything.^(T)