1Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia: 2Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4Who comforts us in all our troubles, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5For as we abundantly share in the sufferings of Christ, so through Christ we also abundantly share in comfort. 6But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which works in you when you patiently endure the same sufferings which we suffer. 7And our hope for you is steadfast, knowing, that as you are partakers of our sufferings, so you also partake of our comfort. 8For we would not have you ignorant of our trouble, brethren, which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed down beyond measure, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life. 9Indeed, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead: 10Who has delivered us from so deadly a peril, and who will deliver us: we trust in him, that he will deliver us again, 11As you help by praying for us. Then thanks will be given by many on our behalf for the favour bestowed upon us by the prayers of many. 12For our boast is in this: the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and still more toward you. 13For we write nothing to you, except what you can read and understand; and I trust you shall understand fully; 14Just as also you have understood us in part and recognized that you can be proud of us, even as we can be proud of you in the day of the Lord Jesus. 15And in this confidence I intended to come to you first, that you might benefit twice; 16I planned to visit you on my way to Macedonia, and again visit you when I returned from Macedonia, and to be helped by you on my way to Judaea. 17When I planned this, did I do it lightly? or the things that I plan, do I plan according to the flesh, that I should say yes, yes when I may mean no, no? 18But as God is true, our word to you was not yes and no. 19For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, by myself and Silvanus and Timothy, was not yes and no, but in him is always yes. 20For as many as are the promises of God, in him they are yes. And so our Amen is through him, to the glory of God. 21Now he who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, is God; 22Who has also sealed us, and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 23I call God as a witness upon my soul, that it was to spare you that I did not come to Corinth. 24Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy: for in your faith you stand firm.