2 Corinthians · Bible in Basic English
2 Corinthians 13 Bible in Basic English
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
BBE Bible in Basic English
WEB World English Bible (Classic, with Deuterocanon)
PT1904 Patriarchal Text 1904 (accented, eBible edition)
1 This is the third time that I am coming to you. From the mouth of two or three witnesses will every word be made certain.
1 This is the third time I am coming to you. “At the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.”
1 Τρίτον τοῦτο ἔρχομαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς· ἐπὶ στόματος δύο μαρτύρων καὶ τριῶν σταθήσεται πᾶν ῥῆμα·
2 I said before, and still say it before I come, as being present for the second time, though I am still away from you, to those who have done wrong before, and to all the others, that if I come again I will not have pity;
2 I have warned previously, and I warn again, as when I was present the second time, so now, being absent, I write to those who have sinned before now and to all the rest that if I come again, I will not spare,
2 προείρηκα καὶ προλέγω, ὡς παρὼν τὸ δεύτερον, καὶ ἀπὼν νῦν γράφω τοῖς προημαρτηκόσι καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς πᾶσιν, ὅτι ἐὰν ἔλθω εἰς τὸ πάλιν οὐ φείσομαι,
3 Seeing that you are looking for a sign of Christ giving out his word in me; who is not feeble in relation to you, but is strong in you:
3 seeing that you seek a proof of Christ who speaks in me who is not weak, but is powerful in you.
3 ἐπεὶ δοκιμὴν ζητεῖτε τοῦ ἐν ἐμοὶ λαλοῦντος Χριστοῦ, ὃς εἰς ὑμᾶς οὐκ ἀσθενεῖ, ἀλλὰ δυνατεῖ ἐν ὑμῖν.
4 For he was feeble in that he was put to death on the cross, but he is living by the power of God. And we are feeble in him, but we will be living with him through the power of God in relation to you.
4 For he was crucified through weakness, yet he lives through the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we will live with him through the power of God toward you.
4 καὶ γὰρ εἰ ἐσταυρώθη ἐξ ἀσθενείας, ἀλλὰ ζῇ ἐκ δυνάμεως Θεοῦ· καὶ γὰρ ἡμεῖς ἀσθενοῦμεν ἐν αὐτῷ, ἀλλὰ ζησόμεθα σὺν αὐτῷ ἐκ δυνάμεως Θεοῦ εἰς ὑμᾶς.
5 Make a test of yourselves, if you are in the faith; make certain of yourselves. Or are you not conscious in yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you, if you are truly Christ's?
5 Examine your own selves, whether you are in the faith. Test your own selves. Or don’t you know about your own selves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.
5 Ἑαυτοὺς πειράζετε εἰ ἐστὲ ἐν τῇ πίστει, ἑαυτοὺς δοκιμάζετε. ἢ οὐκ ἐπιγινώσκετε ἑαυτοὺς ὅτι Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν ἐστιν; εἰ μή τι ἀδόκιμοί ἐστε.
6 But it is my hope that you will have no doubt that we are truly Christ's.
6 But I hope that you will know that we aren’t disqualified.
6 ἐλπίζω δὲ ὅτι γνώσεσθε ὅτι ἡμεῖς οὐκ ἐσμὲν ἀδόκιμοι.
7 Now our prayer to God is that you may do no evil; not in order that it may be put to our credit, but so that you may do what is right, whatever we may seem.
7 Now I pray to God that you do no evil; not that we may appear approved, but that you may do that which is honorable, though we may seem to have failed.
7 εὔχομαι δὲ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν μὴ ποιῆσαι ὑμᾶς κακὸν μηδέν, οὐχ ἵνα ἡμεῖς δόκιμοι φανῶμεν, ἀλλ᾽ ἵνα ὑμεῖς τὸ καλὸν ποιῆτε, ἡμεῖς δὲ ὡς ἀδόκιμοι ὦμεν.
8 Because we are able to do nothing against what is true, but only for it.
8 For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.
8 οὐ γὰρ δυνάμεθά τι κατὰ τῆς ἀληθείας, ἀλλ᾽ ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀληθείας.
9 For we are glad when we are feeble and you are strong: and this is our prayer, even that you may be made complete.
9 For we rejoice when we are weak and you are strong. We also pray for this: your becoming perfect.
9 χαίρομεν γὰρ ὅταν ἡμεῖς ἀσθενῶμεν, ὑμεῖς δὲ δυνατοὶ ἦτε· τοῦτο δὲ καὶ εὐχόμεθα, τὴν ὑμῶν κατάρτισιν.
10 For this cause I am writing these things while I am away, so that there may be need for me, when I am present, to make use of sharp measures, by the authority which the Lord has given me for building up and not for destruction.
10 For this cause I write these things while absent, that I may not deal sharply when present, according to the authority which the Lord gave me for building up and not for tearing down.
10 Διὰ τοῦτο ταῦτα ἀπὼν γράφω, ἵνα παρὼν μὴ ἀποτόμως χρήσωμαι κατὰ τὴν ἐξουσίαν ἣν ἔδωκέ μοι ὁ Κύριος εἰς οἰκοδομὴν καὶ οὐκ εἰς καθαίρεσιν.
11 Let this be my last word, brothers; be glad; be complete; be comforted; be of the same mind; be at peace with one another: and the God of love and peace will be with you.
11 Finally, brothers, rejoice! Be perfected. Be comforted. Be of the same mind. Live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.
11 Λοιπόν, ἀδελφοί, χαίρετε, καταρτίζεσθε, παρακαλεῖσθε, τὸ αὐτὸ φρονεῖτε, εἰρηνεύετε, καὶ ὁ Θεὸς τῆς ἀγάπης καὶ εἰρήνης ἔσται μεθ᾽ ὑμῶν.
12 Give one another a holy kiss.
12 Greet one another with a holy kiss.
12 Ἀσπάσασθε ἀλλήλους ἐν ἁγίῳ φιλήματι. ἀσπάζονται ὑμᾶς οἱ ἅγιοι πάντες.
13 All the saints send their love to you.
13 All the saints greet you.
13 Ἡ χάρις τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ἡ κοινωνία τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος μετὰ πάντων ὑμῶν· ἀμήν.
14 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the harmony of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.
14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s love, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
14 Not in this translation
Cross references (14)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Matthew 18:16; Deuteronomy 19:15; Deuteronomy 17:6; John 8:17–18; Numbers 35:30
- 2 2 Corinthians 1:23; 2 Corinthians 10:8–11; 2 Corinthians 10:1–2; 2 Corinthians 12:20–21; 1 Corinthians 5:5
- 3 Matthew 10:20; 2 Corinthians 12:12; Luke 21:15; 2 Corinthians 10:8–10; 1 Corinthians 9:1–3
- 4 1 Peter 3:18; Romans 6:4; 2 Corinthians 10:3–4; Romans 6:8–11; 2 Timothy 2:11–12
- 5 Lamentations 3:40; 1 Corinthians 11:28; Psalm 139:23–24; 1 Corinthians 9:27; Revelation 2:5
- 6 2 Corinthians 12:20; 2 Corinthians 13:3–4; 2 Corinthians 13:10
- 7 James 1:12; 2 Timothy 2:15; 1 Timothy 2:2; 2 Timothy 4:18; Philippians 4:8
- 8 Proverbs 21:30; Mark 9:39; Acts 4:28–30; Hebrews 2:3–4; Numbers 16:28–35
- 9 2 Corinthians 13:11; 1 Corinthians 4:10; 1 Thessalonians 3:10; 1 Peter 5:10; 2 Corinthians 12:5–10
- 10 2 Corinthians 10:8; 2 Corinthians 2:3; Titus 1:13; 1 Corinthians 4:21; 2 Corinthians 10:2
- 11 Hebrews 12:14; Romans 12:16; 1 Corinthians 1:10; Romans 15:33; Romans 12:18
- 12 Romans 16:16; 1 Peter 5:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:26; 1 Corinthians 16:20
- 13 Philippians 4:21–22; Philemon 23–24; Romans 16:16; 2 John 13; 3 John 14
- 14 Ephesians 2:22; Romans 5:5; 1 Corinthians 16:23; Romans 16:20; Jude 21
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
The wisdom of Paul and his much tender affection, one may observe in many other circumstances, but especially in this, his being so abundant and vehement in his admonitions, but so tardy and procrastinating in his punishments.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 12 (1889)
… say, from the race of Israel, He has assumed flesh and blood that He might suffer; "and he was drunken," that is, He suffered; "and was naked," that is, His weakness appeared in His suffering, as the apostle says, "though He was crucified through weakness." Wherefore the same apostle says, "The weakness of God is stronger than men; and the …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
Paul says to his hearers, Or seek ye a proof of Christ that speaketh in me?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
So Paul speaks in Christ, saying "In the sight of God we speak in Christ," and Christ in Paul, as he himself says "Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me." So also in the Spirit he speaketh mysteries, and again the Spirit speaks in him.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 8 (1895)
For He did not speak in contradiction to His Apostle, seeing that He Himself spoke "in" him also, as he says, "Would ye receive a proof of Christ, who speaketh in me?" Christ in the Gospel, Christ in the Apostle: Christ therefore spake both; one by His own Mouth, the other by the mouth of His herald.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)