¹⁴Here ^afor this third time I am ready to come to you, and I ^bwill not be a burden to you; for I ^cdo not seek what is yours, but ^dyou. For ^echildren ought not to save up for their parents, but ^fparents for their children.

¹⁵So I will ^amost gladly spend and be fully spent for your souls. If ^bI love you more, am I to be loved less?

¹⁶But be that as it may, I ^adid not burden you myself. Nevertheless, crafty fellow that I am, I ^btook you in by deceit.

¹⁷^aHave I taken advantage of you through any of those whom I have sent to you?

¹⁸I ^aencouraged ^bTitus to go, and I sent ^cthe brother with him. Did Titus take any advantage of you? Did we not walk ¹in the same ^dspirit—^ein the very same steps?

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Footnotes

1Or by the same Spirit

Cross references

a 2 Cor 1:15; 13:1, 2
b 1 Cor 9:12, 18; 2 Cor 11:9; 12:13
c 1 Cor 10:24, 33
d 1 Cor 9:19
e 1 Cor 4:14f; Gal 4:19
f Prov 19:14; Ezek 34:2
a Rom 9:3; 2 Cor 1:6; Phil 2:17; Col 1:24; 1 Thess 2:8; 2 Tim 2:10
b 2 Cor 11:11
a 2 Cor 11:9
b 2 Cor 11:20
a 2 Cor 9:5
a 2 Cor 8:6
b 2 Cor 2:13
c 2 Cor 8:18
d 1 Cor 4:21
e Rom 4:12

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Here for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be a burden, for I seek not what is yours but you. For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less? But granting that I myself did not burden you, I was crafty, you say, and got the better of you by deceit. Did I take advantage of you through any of those whom I sent to you? I urged Titus to go, and sent the brother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not act in the same spirit? Did we not take the same steps?

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Now I am ready to visit you for the third time, and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well. If I love you more, will you love me less? Be that as it may, I have not been a burden to you. Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery! Did I exploit you through any of the men I sent to you? I urged Titus to go to you and I sent our brother with him. Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not walk in the same footsteps by the same Spirit?

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Look, I am ready to come to you this third time. I will not burden you, since I am not seeking what is yours, but you. For children ought not save up for their parents, but parents for their children. I will most gladly spend and be spent for you. If I love you more, am I to be loved less? Now granted, I did not burden you; yet sly as I am, I took you in by deceit! Did I take advantage of you by any of those I sent you? I urged Titus to go, and I sent the brother with him. Titus didn’t take advantage of you, did he? Didn’t we walk in the same spirit and in the same footsteps?

NLTNew Living Translation

Now I am coming to you for the third time, and I will not be a burden to you. I don’t want what you have—I want you. After all, children don’t provide for their parents. Rather, parents provide for their children. I will gladly spend myself and all I have for you, even though it seems that the more I love you, the less you love me.

Some of you admit I was not a burden to you. But others still think I was sneaky and took advantage of you by trickery. But how? Did any of the men I sent to you take advantage of you? When I urged Titus to visit you and sent our other brother with him, did Titus take advantage of you? No! For we have the same spirit and walk in each other’s steps, doing things the same way.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Behold, this third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be a burden to you. For I am not seeking your possessions, but you. For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. But I will spend and be expended most gladly for your lives. If I love you much more, am I to be loved less? But let it be. I have not been a burden to you, but because I was crafty, I took you by cunning. I have not taken advantage of you through anyone whom I sent to you, have I? I urged Titus to go, and I sent the brother with him. Titus did not take advantage of you, did he? Did we not conduct ourselves in the same spirit? Did we not walk in the same footsteps?

KJV 1900King James Version

Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours, but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved. But be it so, I did not burden you: nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile. Did I make a gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you? I desired Titus, and with him I sent a brother. Did Titus make a gain of you? walked we not in the same spirit? walked we not in the same steps?

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