Day 51 of 365

¹But I determined this for myself, that I would not come to you again in sorrow.

²For if I make you sorry, then who will make me glad but he who is made sorry by me?

³And I wrote this very thing, so that, when I came, I would not have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy would be shared by all of you.

⁴For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears, not that you should be made sorry, but that you might know the love that I have so abundantly for you.

⁵But if any has caused sorrow, he has caused sorrow, not to me, but in part (that I not press too heavily) to you all.

⁶Sufficient to such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by the many;

⁷so that on the contrary you should rather forgive him and comfort him, lest by any means such a one should be swallowed up with his excessive sorrow.

⁸Therefore I beg you to confirm your love toward him.

⁹For to this end I also wrote, that I might know the proof of you, whether you are obedient in all things.

¹⁰Now I also forgive whomever you forgive anything. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ,

¹¹that no advantage may be gained over us by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his schemes.

¹²Now when I came to Troas for the Good News of Christ, and when a door was opened to me in the Lord,

¹³I had no relief for my spirit, because I did not find Titus, my brother, but taking my leave of them, I went out into Macedonia.

¹⁴Now thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and reveals through us the sweet aroma of his knowledge in every place.

¹⁵For we are a sweet aroma of Christ to God, in those who are saved, and in those who perish;

¹⁶to the one a stench from death to death; to the other a sweet aroma from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?

¹⁷For we are not as so many, peddling the word of God. But as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God, we speak in Christ.

¹Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? We do not need, as do some, letters of commendation to you or from you, do we?

²You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men;

³being revealed that you are a letter of Christ, served by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tablets of stone, but in tablets that are hearts of flesh.

⁴Such confidence we have through Christ toward God;

⁵not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God;

⁶who also made us sufficient as servants of a New Covenant; not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

⁷But if the service of death, written engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the children of Israel could not look steadfastly on the face of Moses for the glory of his face; which was passing away:

⁸won't service of the Spirit be with much more glory?

⁹For if the service of condemnation has glory, the service of righteousness exceeds much more in glory.

¹⁰For truly that which has been made glorious has not been made glorious in this respect, by reason of the glory that surpasses.

¹¹For if that which passes away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.

¹²Having therefore such a hope, we use great boldness of speech,

¹³and not as Moses, who put a veil on his face, that the children of Israel would not look steadfastly on the end of that which was passing away.

¹⁴But their minds were hardened, for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains, because in Christ it passes away.

¹⁵But to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart.

¹⁶But whenever one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

¹⁷Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

¹⁸But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the Spirit.

¹Therefore seeing we have this ministry, even as we obtained mercy, we do not faint.

²But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

³Even if our Good News is veiled, it is veiled in those who perish;

⁴in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, to prevent the light shining from the Good News of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

⁵For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake;

⁶seeing it is God who said, "Light will shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

⁷But we have this treasure in clay vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves.

⁸We are pressed on every side, yet not crushed; perplexed, yet not to despair;

⁹pursued, yet not forsaken; struck down, yet not destroyed;

¹⁰always carrying in the body the putting to death of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

¹¹For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus may be revealed in our mortal flesh.

¹²So then death works in us, but life in you.

¹³But having the same spirit of faith, according to that which is written, "I believed, and therefore I spoke." We also believe, and therefore also we speak;

¹⁴knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will present us with you.

¹⁵For all things are for your sakes, that the grace, being multiplied through the many, may cause the thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

¹⁶Therefore we do not faint, but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day.

¹⁷For our light affliction, which is for the moment, works for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory;

¹⁸while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

¹Have mercy on me, God, according to your loving kindness. According to the multitude of your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.

²Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity. Cleanse me from my sin.

³For I know my transgressions. My sin is constantly before me.

⁴Against you, and you only, have I sinned, and done that which is evil in your sight; that you may be proved right when you speak, and justified when you judge.

⁵Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity. In sin my mother conceived me.

⁶Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts. You teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

⁷Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean. Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

⁸Let me hear joy and gladness, That the bones which you have broken may rejoice.

⁹Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all of my iniquities.

¹⁰Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me.

¹¹Do not throw me from your presence, and do not take your holy Spirit from me.

¹²Restore to me the joy of your salvation. Uphold me with a willing spirit.

¹³Then I will teach transgressors your ways. Sinners shall be converted to you.

¹⁴Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation. My tongue shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

¹⁵Lord, open my lips. My mouth shall declare your praise.

¹⁶For you do not delight in sacrifice, or else I would give it. You have no pleasure in burnt offering.

¹⁷The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

¹⁸Do well in your good pleasure to Zion. Build the walls of Jerusalem.

¹⁹Then you will delight in the sacrifices of righteousness, in burnt offerings and in whole burnt offerings. Then they will offer bulls on your altar.

¹Wine is a mocker, and beer is a brawler. Whoever is led astray by them is not wise.

²The terror of a king is like the roaring of a lion. He who provokes him to anger forfeits his own life.

³It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife; but every fool will be quarreling.

⁴The sluggard will not plow by reason of the winter; therefore he shall beg in harvest, and have nothing.

⁵Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.

⁶Many men claim to be men of unfailing love, but who can find a faithful man?

⁷A righteous man walks in integrity. Blessed are his children after him.

⁸A king who sits on the throne of judgment scatters away all evil with his eyes.

⁹Who can say, "I have made my heart pure. I am clean and without sin?"

¹⁰Differing weights and differing measures, both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.

¹¹Even a child makes himself known by his doings, whether his work is pure, and whether it is right.

¹²The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, The Lord has made even both of them.

¹³Do not love sleep, lest you come to poverty. Open your eyes, and you shall be satisfied with bread.

¹⁴"It's no good, it's no good," says the buyer; but when he is gone his way, then he boasts.

¹⁵There is gold and abundance of rubies; but the lips of knowledge are a rare jewel.

¹⁶Take the garment of one who puts up collateral for a stranger; and hold him in pledge for a wayward woman.

¹⁷Fraudulent food is sweet to a man, but afterwards his mouth is filled with gravel.

¹⁸Plans are established by advice; by wise guidance you wage war!

¹⁹He who goes about as a tale-bearer reveals secrets; therefore do not keep company with him who opens wide his lips.

²⁰Whoever curses his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in blackness of darkness.

²¹An inheritance quickly gained at the beginning, won't be blessed in the end.

²²Do not say, "I will pay back evil." Wait for the Lord, and he will save you.

²³The Lord detests differing weights, and dishonest scales are not pleasing.

²⁴A man's steps are from the Lord; how then can man understand his way?

²⁵It is a snare to a man to make a rash dedication, then later to consider his vows.

²⁶A wise king winnows out the wicked, and drives the threshing wheel over them.

²⁷The spirit of man is the Lord's lamp, searching all his innermost parts.

²⁸Love and faithfulness keep the king safe. His throne is sustained by love.

²⁹The glory of young men is their strength. The splendor of old men is their gray hair.

³⁰Wounding blows cleanse away evil, and beatings purge the innermost parts.