The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 God has shown us such mercy that we do not lose courage as we do the work he has given us.
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For this reason, because we have been made servants of this new order, through the mercy given to us, we are strong:
2 Indeed, we refuse to make use of shameful underhanded methods, employing deception or distorting God's message. On the contrary, by making very clear what the truth is, we commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.
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And we have given up the secret things of shame, not walking in false ways, and not making use of the word of God with deceit; but by the revelation of what is true, as before God, we have the approval of every man's sense of right and wrong.
3 So if indeed our Good News is veiled, it is veiled only to those in the process of being lost.
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But if our good news is veiled, it is veiled from those who are on the way to destruction:
4 They do not come to trust because the god of the 'olam hazeh has blinded their minds, in order to prevent them from seeing the light shining from the Good News about the glory of the Messiah, who is the image of God.
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Because the god of this world has made blind the minds of those who have not faith, so that the light of the good news of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, might not be shining on them.
5 For what we are proclaiming is not ourselves, but the Messiah Yeshua as Lord, with ourselves as slaves for you because of Yeshua.
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For our preaching is not about ourselves, but about Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants through Jesus.
6 For it is the God who once said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has made his light shine in our hearts, the light of the knowledge of God's glory shining in the face of the Messiah Yeshua.
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Seeing that it is God who said, Let light be shining out of the dark, who has put in our hearts the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it will be evident that such overwhelming power comes from God and not from us.
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But we have this wealth in vessels of earth, so that it may be seen that the power comes not from us but from God;
8 We have all kinds of troubles, but we are not crushed; we are perplexed, yet not in despair;
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Troubles are round us on every side, but we are not shut in; things are hard for us, but we see a way out of them;
9 persecuted, yet not abandoned; knocked down, yet not destroyed.
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We are cruelly attacked, but not without hope; we are made low, but we are not without help;
10 We always carry in our bodies the dying of Yeshua, so that the life of Yeshua may be manifested in our bodies too.
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In our bodies there is ever the mark of the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be seen in our bodies.
11 For we who are alive are always being handed over to death for Yeshua's sake, so that Yeshua's life also might be manifested in our mortal bodies.
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For, while living, we are still being given up to death because of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be seen in our flesh, though it is under the power of death.
12 Thus death is at work in us but life in you.
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So then, death is working in us, but life in you.
13 The Tanakh says, "I trusted, therefore I spoke."b Since we have that same Spirit who enables us to trust, we also trust and therefore speak;
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But having the same spirit of faith, as it is said in the Writings, The words of my mouth came from the faith in my heart; in the same way, our words are the outcome of our faith;
14 because we know that he who raised the Lord Yeshua will also raise us with Yeshua and bring us along with you into his presence.
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Because we are certain that he who made the Lord Jesus come back from the dead, will do the same for us, and will give us a place in his glory with you.
15 All this is for your sakes, so that as grace flows out to more and more people, it may cause thanksgiving to overflow and bring glory to God.
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For we go through all things on account of you, because the greater the number to whom the grace is given, the greater is the praise to the glory of God.
16 This is why we do not lose courage. Though our outer self is heading for decay, our inner self is being renewed daily.
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For which cause we do not give way to weariness; but though our outer man is getting feebler, our inner man is made new day by day.
17 For our light and transient troubles are achieving for us an everlasting glory whose weight is beyond description.
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For our present trouble, which is only for a short time, is working out for us a much greater weight of glory;
18 We concentrate not on what is seen but on what is not seen, since things seen are temporary, but things not seen are eternal.
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While our minds are not on the things which are seen, but on the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are for a time; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.