| New King James Version | International Standard Version |
| 1This will be the third time I am coming to you. “By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established.” | 1This will be the third time I am coming to you. "Every accusation must be verified by two or three witnesses." |
| 2I have told you before, and foretell as if I were present the second time, and now being absent I write to those who have sinned before, and to all the rest, that if I come again I will not spare— | 2I have already warned those who sinned previously and all the rest. Although I am absent now, I am warning them as I did on my second visit: If I come back, I will not spare you, |
| 3since you seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, who is not weak toward you, but mighty in you. | 3since you want proof that the Messiah is speaking through me. He is not weak in dealing with you but is making his power felt among you. |
| 4For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you. | 4Though he was crucified in weakness, he lives by God's power. We are weak with him, but by God's power we will live for you. |
| 5Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. | 5Keep examining yourselves to see whether you are continuing in the faith. Test yourselves! You know, don't you, that Jesus the Messiah lives in you? Could it be that you are failing the test? |
| 6But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified. | 6I hope you will realize that we haven't failed our test. |
| 7Now I pray to God that you do no evil, not that we should appear approved, but that you should do what is honorable, though we may seem disqualified. | 7We pray to God that you will not do anything wrong—not to show that we have not failed the test, but so that you may do what is right, even if we seem to have failed. |
| 8For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. | 8For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. |
| 9For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. And this also we pray, that you may be made complete. | 9We are glad when we are weak and you are strong. That is what we are praying for—your maturity. |
| 10Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the authority which the Lord has given me for edification and not for destruction. | 10For this reason I am writing this while I am away from you: When I come I do not want to be severe in using the authority the Lord gave me to build you up and not to tear you down. |
| 11Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. | 11Finally, brothers, goodbye. Keep on growing to maturity. Keep listening to my appeals. Continue agreeing with each other and living in peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you. |
| 12Greet one another with a holy kiss. | 12Greet one another with a holy kiss. |
| 13All the saints greet you. | 13All the saints greet you. |
| 14The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. | 14May the grace of the Lord Jesus the Messiah, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you! |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
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