Good News [1976], GOOD NEWS BIBLE WITH DEUTEROCANONICALS / APOCRYPHA Today's English Version (AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY, New York) [word count] [B15000].
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1 In our work together with God,
then, we beg you who have received
God's grace not to let it be
wasted.
2 Hear what God says:
“When the time came for me to show you favor,
I heard you;
when the day arrived for me to save you,
I helped you.”
Listen! This is the hour to receive
God's favor; today is the day to be
saved! note
3 We do not want anyone to find
fault with our work, so we try not to
put obstacles in anyone's way.
4 Instead,
in everything we do we show
that we are God's servants by patiently
enduring troubles, hardships,
and difficulties.
5 We have been
beaten, jailed, and mobbed; we have
been overworked and have gone
without sleep or food. note
6 By our purity,
knowledge, patience, and kindness
we have shown ourselves to be
God's servants—by the Holy Spirit,
by our true love,
7 by our message of
truth, and by the power of God. We
have righteousness as our weapon,
both to attack and to defend ourselves.
8 We are honored and disgraced;
we are insulted and praised.
We are treated as liars, yet we speak
the truth;
9 as unknown, yet we are
known by all; as though we were
dead, but, as you see, we live on. Although
punished, we are not killed;
10 although saddened, we are always
glad; we seem poor, but we make
many people rich; we seem to have
nothing, yet we really possess everything.
11 Dear friends in Corinth! We
have spoken frankly to you; we have
opened our hearts wide.
12 It is not
we who have closed our hearts to
you; it is you who have closed your
hearts to us.
13 I speak now as
though you were my children: show
us the same feelings that we have
for you. Open your hearts wide!
Warning against Pagan Influences
14 Do not try to work together as
equals with unbelievers, for it cannot
be done. How can right and
wrong be partners? How can light
and darkness live together?
15 How
can Christ and the Devil agree?
What does a believer have in common
with an unbeliever?
16 How can
God's temple come to terms with pagan
idols? For we are the temple of
the living God! As God himself has
said,
“I will make my home with my people
and live among them;
I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.” note
17 And so the Lord says,
“You must leave them
and separate yourselves from them.
Have nothing to do with what is unclean,
and I will accept you. note
18
I will be your father,
and you shall be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty.” note
Good News [1976], GOOD NEWS BIBLE WITH DEUTEROCANONICALS / APOCRYPHA Today's English Version (AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY, New York) [word count] [B15000].
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