Introduction

1 Paul, aan apostle of bChrist Jesus cby the will of God, and dTimothy our brother,

To ethe church of God which is at fCorinth with all the 1saints who are throughout gAchaia:

2 aGrace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 aBlessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and bGod of all comfort,

4 who acomforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in 1any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

5 For just aas the sufferings of Christ are 1ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.

6 But if we are afflicted, it is afor your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer;

7 and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that aas you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort.

8 For awe do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our baffliction which came to us in 1cAsia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life;

9 1indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead;

10 who adelivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, 1He bon whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us,

11 you also joining in ahelping us through your prayers, so that thanks may be given by bmany persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed on us through the prayers of many.