| International Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1Therefore, since we have this ministry through the mercy shown to us, we do not get discouraged. | 1Therefore, since we have this ministry, just as God has shown us mercy, we do not become discouraged. |
| 2Instead, we have renounced secret and shameful ways. We do not use trickery or pervert God's word. By clear statements of the truth we commend ourselves to everyone's conscience before God. | 2But we have rejected shameful hidden deeds, not behaving with deceptiveness or distorting the word of God, but by open proclamation of the truth we commend ourselves to everyone's conscience before God. |
| 3So if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are dying. | 3But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing, |
| 4In their case, the god of this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe to keep them from seeing the light of the glorious gospel of the Messiah, who is the image of God. | 4among whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of those who do not believe so they would not see the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God. |
| 5For we do not preach ourselves, but rather Jesus the Messiah as Lord, and ourselves as merely your servants for Jesus' sake. | 5For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus' sake. |
| 6For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory in the face of Jesus the Messiah. | 6For God, who said "Let light shine out of darkness," is the one who shined in our hearts to give us the light of the glorious knowledge of God in the face of Christ. |
| 7But we have this treasure in clay jars to show that its extraordinary power comes from God and not from us. | 7But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that the extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. |
| 8In every way we're troubled but not crushed, frustrated but not in despair, | 8We are experiencing trouble on every side, but are not crushed; we are perplexed, but not driven to despair; |
| 9persecuted but not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed. | 9we are persecuted, but not abandoned; we are knocked down, but not destroyed, |
| 10We are always carrying around the death of Jesus in our bodies, so that the life of Jesus may be clearly shown in our bodies. | 10always carrying around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our body. |
| 11While we are alive, we are constantly being handed over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may be clearly shown in our mortal bodies. | 11For we who are alive are constantly being handed over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our mortal body. |
| 12And so death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. | 12As a result, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. |
| 13Now since we have the same spirit of faith in keeping with this Scripture: "I believed, and so I spoke," we also believe and therefore speak. | 13But since we have the same spirit of faith as that shown in what has been written, "I believed; therefore I spoke," we also believe, therefore we also speak. |
| 14We know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and present us to God together with you. | 14We do so because we know that the one who raised up Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus and will bring us with you into his presence. |
| 15All this is for your sake so that, as his grace spreads, more and more people will give thanks and glorify God. | 15For all these things are for your sake, so that the grace that is including more and more people may cause thanksgiving to increase to the glory of God. |
| 16That's why we are not discouraged. No, even if outwardly we are wearing out, inwardly we are being renewed each and every day. | 16Therefore we do not despair, but even if our physical body is wearing away, our inner person is being renewed day by day. |
| 17This light, temporary nature of our suffering is producing for us an everlasting weight of glory, far beyond any comparison, | 17For our momentary, light suffering is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison |
| 18because we do not look for things that can be seen but for things that cannot be seen. For things that can be seen are temporary, but things that cannot be seen are eternal. | 18because we are not looking at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen. For what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal. |
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