2 Corinthians 4

Because of those things, and because God mercifully enabled us to act on behalf of {the new agreement}, we do not give up.

Rather, we refuse to do anything that we would hide because it is disgraceful. We do not try to deceive others, and we do not change the message from God. Instead, we proclaim the true {message}, and we prove to everyone that God considers us trustworthy. \*

In fact, the only people who do not understood the good news that we proclaim are people who are passing away.

Satan, who rules the world right now, has kept these people who do not believe from understanding. That way, the good news about the glorious Messiah, who shows what God is like, does not change them. \*

{I say that the good news is about the Messiah} because we do not tell other people about ourselves. Rather, {we tell them} about Jesus the Messiah, the Lord, and about how we serve you because of him.

{We do that} because it is God who spoke these words: “What is dark will become bright.” He has enabled us to understand what is true about how glorious he is, just as if he had shined a light on us. {God has revealed this} in Jesus the Messiah. \*

We experience and proclaim these wonderful things, but we ourselves are weak and worthless. That way, {it is clear that} God causes these things to be so powerful, not we.

{We experience} many {difficult things}. People persecute us, but they do not overcome us. We are not sure what to do, but we do not give up.

People try to hurt us, but God does not abandon us. People act against us, but they do not defeat us.

We continually suffer physically, like Jesus did. That way, God will make us live again, just like he made Jesus live again. \*

Indeed, while we are living, God allows us to suffer continually because of Jesus. That way, even though we will die, God will make us live again, just like he made Jesus live again.

As you can see, God allows us to suffer, but he will make you live. \*

Now we are those who trust {God}, just like the person who wrote {in the psalm}, “I trusted {God}, so I spoke.” We too trust {God}, so we too speak.

{We do that because} we realize that God made Jesus alive again, so he will also make us alive again. Then we will be with Jesus and with you before God.

We do each of those things to help you. That way, God will act graciously to more people. Then, people will thank God more, which honors God. \*

Therefore, we do not give up. Instead, even though the part of us that people can see is perishing, every day God is strengthening the part of us that people cannot see.

{We do not give up,} because when we suffer in temporary and unimportant ways, that will cause us to become glorious forever and in important ways, ways that we cannot even imagine.

So, we pay attention to what we do not see rather than to what we see. {That is} because what we do not see will last forever, but what we see will pass away. \*