Passage

2 Corinthians 4

Book: 2 Corinthians · NASB95

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV (ASV)

"1. Therefore seeing we have this ministry, even as we obtained mercy, we faint not: 2. but 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. 3. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled in them that perish: 4. in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn upon them. 5. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 6. Seeing it is God, that said, Light shall shine out of darkness, who shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves; 8. we are pressed on every side, yet not straitened; perplexed, yet not unto despair; 9. pursued, yet not forsaken; smitten down, yet not destroyed; 10. always bearing about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our body. 11. For we who live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12. So then death worketh in us, but life in you. 13. But having the same spirit of faith, according to that which is written, I believed, and therefore did I speak; we also believe, and therefore also we speak; 14. knowing that he that raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also with Jesus, and shall present us with you. 15. For all things are for your sakes, that the grace, being multiplied through the many, may cause the thanksgiving to abound unto the glory of God. 16. Wherefore we faint not; but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day. 17. For our light affliction, which is for the moment, worketh for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory; 18. while we look not 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." (2 Corinthians 4:1-18, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"1. Therefore seeing we have this ministry, even as we obtained mercy, we don’t faint. 2. But 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. 3. Even if our Good News is veiled, it is veiled in those who perish; 4. in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the Good News of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn on them. 5. For we don’t preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake; 6. seeing 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. 7. But we have this treasure in clay vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves. 8. We are pressed on every side, yet not crushed; perplexed, yet not to despair; 9. pursued, yet not forsaken; struck down, yet not destroyed; 10. always carrying in the body the putting to death of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus may be revealed in our mortal flesh. 12. So then death works in us, but life in you. 13. But 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; 14. knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will present us with you. 15. For 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. 16. Therefore we don’t faint, but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day. 17. For our light affliction, which is for the moment, works for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory; 18. while we don’t 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." (2 Corinthians 4:1-18, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"1. Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; 2. But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. ^{dishonesty: Gr. shame} 3. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4. In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 5. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. 6. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. ^{hath: Gr. is he who hath} 7. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 8. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; ^{in despair: or, altogether without help, or, means} 9. Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 10. Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 11. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. 12. So then death worketh in us, but life in you. 13. We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; 14. Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. 15. For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. 16. For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 17. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18. While we look not 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." (2 Corinthians 4:1-18, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"1. Because of this, having this ministration, according as we did receive kindness, we do not faint, 2. but did renounce for ourselves the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor deceitfully using the word of God, but by the manifestation of the truth recommending ourselves unto every conscience of men, before God; 3. and if also our good news is vailed, in those perishing it is vailed, 4. in whom the god of this age did blind the minds of the unbelieving, that there doth not shine forth to them the enlightening of the good news of the glory of the Christ, who is the image of God; 5. for not ourselves do we preach, but Christ Jesus, Lord, and ourselves your servants because of Jesus; 6. because [it is] God who said, Out of darkness light [is] to shine, who did shine in our hearts, for the enlightening of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7. And we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us; 8. on every side being in tribulation, but not straitened; perplexed, but not in despair; 9. persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 10. at all times the dying of the Lord Jesus bearing about in the body, that the life also of Jesus in our body may be manifested, 11. for always are we who are living delivered up to death because of Jesus, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our dying flesh, 12. so that, the death indeed in us doth work, and the life in you. 13. And having the same spirit of the faith, according to that which hath been written, 'I believed, therefore I did speak;' we also do believe, therefore also do we speak; 14. knowing that He who did raise up the Lord Jesus, us also through Jesus shall raise up, and shall present with you, 15. for the all things [are] because of you, that the grace having been multiplied, because of the thanksgiving of the more, may abound to the glory of God; 16. wherefore, we faint not, but if also our outward man doth decay, yet the inward is renewed day by day; 17. for the momentary light matter of our tribulation, more and more exceedingly an age-during weight of glory doth work out for us, 18. we not looking to the things seen, but to the things not seen; for the things seen [are] temporary, but the things not seen [are] age-during." (2 Corinthians 4:1-18, YLT)

Setting

Speaker: TBD
Audience: TBD
Location: TBD
Time period: TBD

Theological reading

Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added.

Key words

Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word; see Lexicon Roadmap.

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TBD
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Quoted in

G2673 - katargeo

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.