Bilingual reading

Working together, we entreat also that you do not receive the grace of God in vain.

For he says, “At an acceptable time I listened to you. In a day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is the acceptable time. Behold, now is the day of salvation.

We give no occasion of stumbling in anything, that our service may not be blamed,

but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God: in great endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses,

in beatings, in imprisonments, in riots, in labors, in watchings, in fastings,

in pureness, in knowledge, in perseverance, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in sincere love,

in the word of truth, in the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,

by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report, as deceivers and yet true,

as unknown and yet well known, as dying and behold—we live, as punished and not killed,

as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing and yet possessing all things.

Our mouth is open to you, Corinthians. Our heart is enlarged.

You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections.

Now in return—I speak as to my children—you also open your hearts.

Don’t be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship do righteousness and iniquity have? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?

What agreement does Christ have with Belial? Or what portion does a believer have with an unbeliever?

What agreement does a temple of God have with idols? For you are a temple of the living God. Even as God said, “I will dwell in them and walk in them. I will be their God and they will be my people.”

Therefore “‘Come out from among them, and be separate,’ says the Lord. ‘Touch no unclean thing. I will receive you.

I will be to you a Father. You will be to me sons and daughters,’ says the Lord Almighty.”

ولمَّا كُنَّا نَعمَلُ معَ الله، فإِنَّنا نُناشِدُكم أَلَّا تَنالوا نِعمَةَ اللهِ لِغَيرِ فائِدَة

فإِنَّه يَقول: «في وَقتِ القَبولِ ٱستَجَبتُكَ، وفي يَومِ الخَلاصِ أَغَثتُكَ». فهاهُوَذا الآنَ وَقتُ القَبولِ الحَسَن، وهاهُوَذا الآنَ يَومُ الخَلاص

فإِنَّنا لا نَجعَلُ لِأَحَدٍ سَبَبَ زَلَّة، لِئَلَّا يَنالَ خِدمَتَنا لَوم

بل نُوَصِّي بِأَنفُسِنا في كُلِّ شَيءٍ على أَنَّنا خَدَمُ اللهِ بِثَباتِنا العَظيمِ في الشَّدائِدِ والمَضايِقِ والمَشَقَّاتِ

والجَلْدِ والسِّجْنِ والفِتَنِ والتَّعَبِ والسَّهَرِ والصَّوم

بِالعَفافِ والمَعرِفَة والصَّبرِ واللُّطْفِ، بالرُّوحِ القُدُسِ والمَحبَّةِ بِلا رِياء

وكَلِمَةِ الحَقِّ وقُدرَةِ الله، بِسِلاحِ البِرّ، سِلاحِ الهُجومِ وسِلاحِ الدِّفاع

في الكَرامةِ والهَوان، في سُوءِ الذِّكْرِ وحُسنِه. نُحسَبُ مُضِلِّينَ ونَحنُ صادِقون

مَجهولِينَ ونَحنُ مَعروفون، مائِتِينَ وها إِنَّنا أَحْياء، مُعاقَبينَ ولا نُقتَل

مَحْزونينَ ونَحنُ دائِمًا فَرِحون، فُقراءَ ونُغْني كَثيرًا مِنَ النَّاس، لا شَيءَ عندَنا ونَحنُ نَملِكُ كُلَّ شَيء

خاطَبْناكُم بِصَراحَةٍ، يا أَهْلَ قورنتُس، وفَتَحْنا لكُم قَلْبَنا

لَستُم في ضيقٍ عِندَنا، وإِنَّما أَنتُم في ضيقٍ في قُلوبِكم

عامِلونا بِمِثْلِ ما نُعامِلُكم. إِنِّي أُكَلِّمُكُم كَلامي لِأَبنائي، فٱفتَحوا قُلوبَكم أَنتم أَيضًا

لا تَكونوا مَقرونينَ بِغَيرِ المُؤمِنينَ في نِيرٍ واحِد. أَيُّ صِلَةٍ بَينَ البِرِّ والإِثْم؟ وأَيُّ ٱتِّحادٍ بَينَ النُّورِ والظُّلْمَة؟

وأَيُّ ٱئتِلافٍ بَينَ المسيحِ وبَليعار؟ وأَيُّ شَرِكَةٍ بَينَ المُؤمِنِ وغَيرِ المُؤمِن؟

وأَيُّ وِفاقٍ بَينَ هَيكَلِ اللهِ والأَوثان؟ فنَحنُ هَيكَلُ اللهِ الحَيّ، كما قالَ الله: «سأَسكُنُ بَينَهُم وأَسيرُ بَينَهُم وأَكونُ إِلٰهَهُم وَيَكونونَ شَعْبي

فٱخْرُجوا إِذًا مِن بَينِهِم وتَنَحَّوا»، يَقولُ الرَّبّ. «ولا تَمَسُّوا نَجِسًا، وأَنا أَتَقَبَّلُكم

وأَكونُ لَكم أَبًا وتَكونونَ لي بَنينَ وبَنات»، يَقولُ الرَّبُّ القَدير