¹For we know that if the earthly house of our tent is dissolved , we have a building from God , a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens .

²For most certainly in this we groan , longing to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven ,

³if indeed being clothed , we will not be found naked .

⁴For indeed we who are in this tent do groan , being burdened, not that we desire to be unclothed , but that we desire to be clothed , that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life .

⁵Now he who made us for this very thing is God , who also gave to us the down payment of the Spirit .

⁶Therefore we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body , we are absent from the Lord ;

⁷for we walk by faith , not by sight .

⁸We are courageous, I say , and are willing rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord .

⁹Therefore also we make it our aim, whether at home or absent , to be well pleasing to him .

¹⁰For we must all be revealed before the judgement seat of Christ that each one may receive the things in the body according to what he has done , whether good or bad .

¹¹Knowing therefore the fear of the Lord , we persuade men , but we are revealed to God , and I hope that we are revealed also in your consciences .

¹²For we are not commending ourselves to you again , but speak as giving you occasion of boasting on our behalf , that you may have something to answer those who boast in appearance and not in heart .

¹³For if we are beside ourselves , it is for God . Or if we are of sober mind , it is for you .

¹⁴For the love of Christ compels us ; because we judge thus: that one died for all , therefore all died .

¹⁵He died for all , that those who live should no longer live to themselves , but to him who for their sakes died and rose again .

¹⁶Therefore we know no one according to the flesh from now on . Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh , yet now we know him so no more .

¹⁷Therefore if anyone is in Christ , he is a new creation . The old things have passed away . Behold , all things have become new .[#5:17 “Behold”, from “ἰδοὺ”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.]

¹⁸But all things are of God , who reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ , and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation ;

¹⁹namely , that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself , not reckoning to them their trespasses , and having committed to us the word of reconciliation .

²⁰We are therefore ambassadors on behalf of Christ , as though God were entreating by us : we beg you on behalf of Christ , be reconciled to God .

²¹For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf , so that in him we might become the righteousness of God .