1 God|strong="G1653", with|strong="G1223" his|strong="G1223" mercy|strong="G1653", gave us this|strong="G3778" work to|strong="G3778" do|strong="G2192", so|strong="G1223" we|strong="G3778" don’t|strong="G3756" give up.
2 But|strong="G0235" we|strong="G3588" have|strong="G3956" turned away from|strong="G3361" secret|strong="G2927" and|strong="G2316" shameful|strong="G0152" ways. We|strong="G3588" don’t|strong="G3361" use trickery|strong="G3834", and|strong="G2316" we|strong="G3588" don’t|strong="G3361" change the|strong="G3956" teaching|strong="G3056" of|strong="G3056" God|strong="G2316". We|strong="G3588" teach the|strong="G3956" truth|strong="G0225" plainly. This|strong="G3588" is|strong="G2316" how we|strong="G3588" show people|strong="G0444" who|strong="G3588" we|strong="G3588" are|strong="G3956". And|strong="G2316" this|strong="G3588" is|strong="G2316" how they|strong="G1722" can know in|strong="G1722" their|strong="G1438" hearts what|strong="G3588" kind|strong="G3956" of|strong="G3056" people|strong="G0444" we|strong="G3588" are|strong="G3956" before|strong="G1799" God|strong="G2316".
3 The|strong="G3588" Good|strong="G1510" News|strong="G2098" that|strong="G1161" we|strong="G2249" tell people|strong="G1510" may|strong="G2532" be|strong="G1510" hidden|strong="G2572", but|strong="G1161" it|strong="G1161" is|strong="G1510" hidden|strong="G2572" only|strong="G1487" to|strong="G2532" those|strong="G3588" who|strong="G3588" are|strong="G1510" lost|strong="G0622".
4 The|strong="G3588" ruler of|strong="G2316" this|strong="G3778" world|strong="G0165" has|strong="G2316" blinded|strong="G5186" the|strong="G3588" minds|strong="G3540" of|strong="G2316" those|strong="G3588" who|strong="G3739" don’t|strong="G3361" believe. They|strong="G3739" cannot|strong="G3361" see|strong="G0826" the|strong="G3588" light|strong="G5462" of|strong="G2316" the|strong="G3588" Good|strong="G1510" News|strong="G2098"—the|strong="G3588" message about|strong="G1722" the|strong="G3588" divine greatness of|strong="G2316" Christ|strong="G5547". Christ|strong="G5547" is|strong="G1510" the|strong="G3588" one|strong="G3739" who|strong="G3739" is|strong="G1510" exactly like God|strong="G2316".
5 We|strong="G1161" don’t|strong="G3756" tell people about|strong="G2424" ourselves|strong="G1438". But|strong="G1161" we|strong="G1161" tell people that|strong="G1161" Jesus|strong="G2424" Christ|strong="G5547" is|strong="G2962" Lord|strong="G2962", and|strong="G1161" we|strong="G1161" tell them|strong="G1438" that|strong="G1161" we|strong="G1161" are|strong="G5547" your|strong="G2962" servants|strong="G1401" for|strong="G1063" Jesus|strong="G2424".
6 God|strong="G2316" once said|strong="G3004", “Let|strong="G3004" light|strong="G5457" shine|strong="G2989" out|strong="G1537" of|strong="G1537" the|strong="G3588" darkness|strong="G4655"!” And|strong="G2316" this|strong="G3588" is|strong="G2316" the|strong="G3588" same|strong="G3739" God|strong="G2316" who|strong="G3739" made|strong="G3004" his|strong="G3739" light|strong="G5457" shine|strong="G2989" in|strong="G1722" our|strong="G2316" hearts|strong="G2588" to|strong="G4314" let|strong="G3004" us|strong="G3004" know that|strong="G3754" his|strong="G3739" own divine greatness is|strong="G2316" seen in|strong="G1722" the|strong="G3588" face|strong="G4383" of|strong="G1537" Christ|strong="G5547".
7 We|strong="G2249" have|strong="G2192" this|strong="G3778" treasure|strong="G2344" from|strong="G1537" God|strong="G2316", but|strong="G1161" we|strong="G2249" are|strong="G1510" only|strong="G2532" like clay|strong="G3749" jars|strong="G4632" that|strong="G2443" hold|strong="G2192" the|strong="G3588" treasure|strong="G2344". This|strong="G3778" is|strong="G1510" to|strong="G2443" show|strong="G2192" that|strong="G2443" the|strong="G3588" amazing power|strong="G1411" we|strong="G2249" have|strong="G2192" is|strong="G1510" from|strong="G1537" God|strong="G2316", not|strong="G3361" from|strong="G1537" us|strong="G1537".
8 We have|strong="G3956" troubles all|strong="G3956" around us|strong="G1722", but|strong="G0235" we are|strong="G3956" not|strong="G3756" defeated. We often don’t|strong="G3756" know what|strong="G0235" to|strong="G1722" do|strong="G3756", but|strong="G0235" we don’t|strong="G3756" give up.
9 We are persecuted|strong="G1377", but|strong="G0235" God does not|strong="G3756" leave|strong="G1459" us. We are hurt sometimes, but|strong="G0235" we are not|strong="G3756" destroyed|strong="G0622".
10 So|strong="G2443" we|strong="G2249" constantly experience the|strong="G3588" death of|strong="G4983" Jesus|strong="G2424" in|strong="G1722" our|strong="G2424" own bodies|strong="G4983", but|strong="G2532" this|strong="G3588" is|strong="G3588" so|strong="G2443" that|strong="G2443" the|strong="G3588" life|strong="G2222" of|strong="G4983" Jesus|strong="G2424" can also|strong="G2532" be|strong="G2532" seen in|strong="G1722" our|strong="G2424" bodies|strong="G4983".
11 We|strong="G2249" are|strong="G3588" alive|strong="G2198", but|strong="G2532" for|strong="G1063" Jesus|strong="G2424" we|strong="G2249" are|strong="G3588" always|strong="G0104" in|strong="G1722" danger|strong="G2288" of|strong="G1223" death|strong="G2288", so|strong="G2443" that|strong="G2443" the|strong="G3588" life|strong="G2222" of|strong="G1223" Jesus|strong="G2424" can be|strong="G2532" seen in|strong="G1722" our|strong="G2424" bodies that|strong="G2443" die|strong="G2288".
12 So|strong="G1161" death|strong="G2288" is|strong="G3588" working|strong="G1754" in|strong="G1722" us|strong="G1722", but|strong="G1161" the|strong="G3588" result|strong="G5620" is|strong="G3588" that|strong="G5620" life|strong="G2222" is|strong="G3588" working|strong="G1754" in|strong="G1722" you|strong="G5210".
13 The|strong="G3588" Scriptures say|strong="G2980", “I|strong="G1473" believed|strong="G4100", so|strong="G2532" I|strong="G1473" spoke|strong="G2980".” Our|strong="G2532" faith|strong="G4102" is|strong="G3588" like|strong="G2596" that|strong="G4100" too|strong="G2532". We|strong="G2249" believe|strong="G4100", and|strong="G2532" so|strong="G2532" we|strong="G2249" speak|strong="G2980".
14 God|strong="G1453" raised|strong="G1453" the|strong="G3588" Lord|strong="G2962" Jesus|strong="G2424" from|strong="G2424" death, and|strong="G2532" we|strong="G2249" know|strong="G1492" that|strong="G3754" he|strong="G2532" will|strong="G2962" also|strong="G2532" raise|strong="G1453" us|strong="G1453" with|strong="G4862" Jesus|strong="G2424". God|strong="G1453" will|strong="G2962" bring|strong="G3936" us|strong="G1453" together|strong="G4862" with|strong="G4862" you|strong="G5210", and|strong="G2532" we|strong="G2249" will|strong="G2962" stand|strong="G3936" before|strong="G3936" him|strong="G2532".
15 All|strong="G3956" these|strong="G3588" things|strong="G3956" are|strong="G3956" for|strong="G1063" you|strong="G5210". And|strong="G2316" so|strong="G2443" the|strong="G3956" grace|strong="G5485" of|strong="G1223" God|strong="G2316" is|strong="G2316" being|strong="G4771" given to|strong="G1519" more|strong="G4183" and|strong="G2316" more|strong="G4183" people|strong="G3956". This|strong="G3588" will|strong="G2316" bring|strong="G1519" more|strong="G4183" and|strong="G2316" more|strong="G4183" thanks|strong="G5485" to|strong="G1519" God|strong="G2316" for|strong="G1063" his|strong="G3956" glory|strong="G1391".
16 That|strong="G2250" is|strong="G0444" why|strong="G1352" we|strong="G2249" never|strong="G3756" give up|strong="G2080". Our|strong="G2532" physical body is|strong="G0444" becoming older and|strong="G2532" weaker, but|strong="G0235" our|strong="G2532" spirit inside|strong="G2080" us is|strong="G0444" made new every day|strong="G2250".
17 We|strong="G2249" have|strong="G1473" small troubles|strong="G2347" for|strong="G1063" a while now, but|strong="G1063" these|strong="G3588" troubles|strong="G2347" are|strong="G3588" helping us|strong="G1519" gain an|strong="G2596" eternal|strong="G0166" glory|strong="G1391". That|strong="G2596" eternal|strong="G0166" glory|strong="G1391" is|strong="G3588" much greater than our|strong="G2596" troubles|strong="G2347".
18 So|strong="G1161" we|strong="G2249" think about|strong="G3588" what|strong="G3588" we|strong="G2249" cannot|strong="G3361" see|strong="G0991", not|strong="G3361" what|strong="G3588" we|strong="G2249" see|strong="G0991". What|strong="G3588" we|strong="G2249" see|strong="G0991" lasts only|strong="G0235" a|strong="G1161" short time, and|strong="G1161" what|strong="G3588" we|strong="G2249" cannot|strong="G3361" see|strong="G0991" will|strong="G1473" last forever|strong="G0166".