2 Corinthians 4:11-18

4:11 For we who are alive are constantly being handed over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible¹ in our mortal body.² 4:12 As a result,³ death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.⁴ 4:13 But since we have the same spirit of faith as that shown in⁵ what has been written, “I believed; therefore I spoke,”⁶ we also believe, therefore we also speak. 4:14 We do so⁷ because we know that the one who raised up Jesus⁸ will also raise us up with Jesus and will bring us with you into his presence. 4:15 For all these things are for your sake, so that the grace that is including⁹ more and more people may cause thanksgiving to increase¹⁰ to the glory of God. 4:16 Therefore we do not despair,¹¹ but even if our physical body¹² is wearing away, our inner person¹³ is being renewed day by day. 4:17 For our momentary, light suffering¹⁴ is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison 4:18 because we are not looking at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen. For what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.

¹tn Or “may also be revealed.”

²tn Grk “mortal flesh.”

³tn Or “So then.”

⁴tn Grk “death is at work in us, but life in you”; the phrase “is at work in” is repeated in the translation for clarity.

⁵tn Grk “spirit of faith according to.”

⁶sn A quotation from Ps 116:10.

⁷tn Grk “speak, because.” A new sentence was started here in the translation, with the words “We do so” supplied to preserve the connection with the preceding statement.

⁸tc ‡ Several important witnesses (א C D F G Ψ 1881), as well as the Byzantine text, add κύριον (kurion) here, changing the reading to “the Lord Jesus.” Although the external evidence in favor of the shorter reading is slim, the witnesses are important, early, and diverse (Ì⁴⁶ B [0243 33] 629 [630] 1175* [1739] pc r sa). Very likely scribes with pietistic motives added the word κύριον, as they were prone to do, thus compounding this title for the Lord.

⁹tn Or “that is abounding to.”

¹⁰tn Or “to abound.”

¹¹tn Or “do not lose heart.”

¹²tn Grk “our outer man.”

¹³tn Grk “our inner [man].”

¹⁴tn Grk “momentary lightness of affliction.”