¹Because of this, having this ministry, even as we received mercy, we do not lose heart.

²But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor falsifying the word of God, but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every conscience of men before God.

³But if even our good news is concealed, it is concealed to those perishing,

⁴in whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of the untrusting, so as for the illumination of the good news of the glory of the Anointed One, who is the image of God, not to beam forth to them.

⁵For we do not proclaim ourselves but Jesus the Anointed One as Lord, and ourselves your slaves for the sake of Jesus.

⁶For it is God, the One who said, "Out of darkness light will shine," who shone in our hearts for the radiance of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus the Anointed One.

⁷Now we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassingness of the power may be from God and not from us;

⁸in every way being hard pressed but not being crushed, being perplexed but not despairing,

⁹being persecuted but not being forsaken, being struck down but not being destroyed,

¹⁰always carrying around the death of the Lord Jesus in our body, so that also the life of Jesus may be manifested in our body.

¹¹For we ourselves who are living are always being delivered to death on account of Jesus, so that also the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

¹²So then death indeed works in us, however the life in you.

¹³But having the same spirit of trust, according to that which is written, "I trusted, therefore I have spoken," we ourselves also trust, therefore also speak,

¹⁴knowing that the One who had raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and He will present us with you.

¹⁵For all things are for your sake, so that the favor, having abounded through the more and more, may increase the thanksgiving to the glory of God.

¹⁶Therefore we do not lose heart; but if even our outward man is being brought to decay, yet our inner is being renewed day by day.

¹⁷For our momentary lightness of affliction is producing for us, far surpassing to excessiveness, an eternal weight of glory,

¹⁸as we are looking not at the things being seen but at the things not being seen; for the things being seen are temporary, however the things not being seen are eternal.