القراءة بلغتين

ونَحنُ نَعلَمُ أَنَّه إِذا هُدِمَ بَيتُنا الأَرْضِيّ، وما هو إِلَّا خَيمَة، فلَنا في السَّمَواتِ مَسكِنٌ مِن صُنعِ الله، بَيتٌ أَبَدِيٌّ لم تَصنَعْه الأَيْدي

وإِنَّنا، ونَحنُ في هٰذه الحال، نَئِنُّ حَنينًا إِلى لُبْسِ مَسكِنِنا السَّماوِيِّ فَوقَ الآخَر

على أَن نَكونَ لابِسينَ لا عُراة

ولِذٰلكَ نَئِنُّ مُثْقَلينَ ما دُمْنا في هٰذِه الخَيمَة، لِأَنَّنا لا نُريدُ أَن نَخلَعَ ما نَلبَس، بل نُريدُ أَن نَلبَسَ ذاك فَوقَ هٰذا، حَتَّى تَبتَلِعَ الحَياةُ ما هو زائِل

والَّذي أَعَدَّنا لِهٰذا المَصير هو اللهُ الَّذي أَعطانا عُربونَ الرُّوح

لِذٰلِكَ فلَمَّا كُنَّا واثِقينَ في كُلِّ حين، على عِلمِنا بِأَنَّنا، ما دُمنا في هٰذا الجَسَد، نَحنُ في هِجرَةٍ عنِ الرَّبّ

لِأَنَّنا نَسيرُ في الإِيمانِ لا في العِيان…

فنَحنُ إِذًا واثِقون، ونَرى منَ الأَفضَلِ أَن نَهجُرَ هٰذا الجَسَدَ لِنُقيمَ في جِوارِ الرَّبّ

ولِذٰلِكَ أَيضًا نَطمَحُ إِلى نَيلِ رِضاه، أَأَقَمْنا في هٰذا الجَسَدِ أَم هَجَرْناه

لِأَنَّه لا بُدَّ لَنا جَميعًا مِن أَن يُكشَفَ أَمرُنا أَمامَ مَحْكَمَةِ المسيح لِيَنالَ كُلُّ واحِدٍ جَزاءَ ما عَمِلَ وهو في الجَسَد، أَخَيرًا كانَ أَم شَرًّا

أَمَّا ونَحنُ عالِمونَ بِمخافَةِ الرَّبّ، فإِنَّنا نُحاوِلُ إِقناعَ النَّاس. وأَمرُنا مَكْشوفٌ للهِ. وأَرجو أَن يَكونَ مَكْشوفًا في ضَمائِرِكُم أَيضًا

ولا نَعودُ إِلى التَّوصِيَةِ بِأَنفُسِنا في أَعيُنِكُم، بل نَجعَلُ لَكم سَبيلًا لِلٱفتِخارِ بِنا، فيُمكِنَكُم أَن تَرُدُّوا على الَّذينَ يَفتَخِرونَ بِالظَّاهِرِ لا بِالباطِن

فإِن خَرَجْنا عَن صَوابِنا ففي سَبيلِ الله، وإِن تَعقَّلْنا ففي سَبيلِكم

لِأَنَّ مَحبَّةَ المسيحِ تَأخُذُ بِمَجامِعِ قَلْبِنا عِندَما نُفَكِّرُ أَنَّ واحِدًا قد ماتَ مِن أَجْلِ جَميعِ النَّاس، فجَميعُ النَّاسِ إِذًا قد ماتوا

ومِن أَجْلِهِم جَميعًا ماتَ، كَيلا يَحْيا الأَحياءُ مِن بَعدُ لِأَنْفُسِهِم، بل لِلَّذي ماتَ وقامَ مِن أَجْلِهِم

فنَحنُ لا نَعرِفُ أَحَدًا بَعدَ اليَومِ مَعرِفةً بَشَرِيَّة. فإِذا كُنَّا قَد عَرَفْنا المسيحَ يَومًا مَعرِفةً بَشَرِيَّة، فلَسْنا نَعرِفُه الآنَ هٰذِه المَعرِفَة

فإِذا كانَ أَحَدٌ في المسيح، فإِنَّه خَلْقٌ جَديد. قد زالتِ الأَشياءُ القَديمة وها قد جاءَت أَشياءُ جَديدة

وهٰذا كُلُّه مِنَ اللهِ الَّذي صالَحَنا بِالمسيح وأَعْطانا خِدمَةَ المُصالَحَة

ذٰلك بِأَنَّ اللهَ كانَ في المَسيحِ مُصالِحًا لِلعالَم وغَيرَ مُحاسِبٍ لَهم على زَلَّاتِهم، ومُستَودِعًا إِيَّانا كَلِمَةَ المُصالَحَة

فنَحنُ سُفَراءُ في سَبيلِ المَسيح، وكأَنَّ اللهَ يَعِظُ بِأَلسِنَتِنا. فنَسأَلُكُم بِٱسمِ المسيح أَن تَدَعوا اللهَ يُصالِحُكُم

ذاكَ الَّذي لم يَعرِفِ الخَطيئَة جَعَلَه اللهُ خَطيئَةً مِن أَجْلِنا كَيما نَصيرَ فيه بِرَّ الله

For we know that if the earthly house of our tent is dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens.

For most certainly in this we groan, longing to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven,

if indeed being clothed, we will not be found naked.

For indeed we who are in this tent do groan, being burdened, not that we desire to be unclothed, but that we desire to be clothed, that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

Now he who made us for this very thing is God, who also gave to us the down payment of the Spirit.

Therefore we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord;

for we walk by faith, not by sight.

We are courageous, I say, and are willing rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.

Therefore also we make it our aim, whether at home or absent, to be well pleasing to him.

For we must all be revealed before the judgment seat of Christ that each one may receive the things in the body according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Knowing therefore the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are revealed to God, and I hope that we are revealed also in your consciences.

For we are not commending ourselves to you again, but speak as giving you occasion of boasting on our behalf, that you may have something to answer those who boast in appearance and not in heart.

For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God. Or if we are of sober mind, it is for you.

For the love of Christ compels us; because we judge thus: that one died for all, therefore all died.

He died for all, that those who live should no longer live to themselves, but to him who for their sakes died and rose again.

Therefore we know no one according to the flesh from now on. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know him so no more.

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.

But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ, and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation;

namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not reckoning to them their trespasses, and having committed to us the word of reconciliation.

We are therefore ambassadors on behalf of Christ, as though God were entreating by us: we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.