God of All Comfort
3 cBlessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of dmercies and eGod of all fcomfort, 4 who gcomforts us in hall our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as we ishare abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.1 6 If we are afflicted, jit is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. 7 Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.
8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers,2 of kthe affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God lwho mraises the dead. 10 He ndelivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him owe have set our hope that he will deliver us again.
Treasure in Jars of Clay
7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 eWe are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 falways carrying in the body the death of Jesus, gso that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are halways being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So ideath is at work in us, but life in you.
13 Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, j“I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, 14 kknowing that lhe who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and mbring us with you into his presence. 15 For nit is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self1 is wasting away, our oinner self is being prenewed day by day. 17 For qthis light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look rnot to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
