1AS God's fellow workers we also beg you not to receive his grace fruitlessly. 2For he says, "At a favorable time I heard you and on a day of salvation I helped you." Now is a particularly favorable time, now is a day of salvation. 3We give no occasion for stumbling to any one that our service may not be blamed, 4but in everything we commend ourselves as God's servants in great patience, in distresses, in necessities, in hardships, 5in floggings, in prisons, in riots, in toils, in sleepless nights, in fastings, 6with purity, with knowledge, with long-suffering, with kindness, with the Holy Spirit, with sincere love, 7with the message of truth, with the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness in the right hand and the left, 8by honor and shame, by slander and praise; as deceivers yet true, 9as unknown yet well known, as dying and yet we are living, as chastised yet not put to death, 10as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet owning all things. 11Our mouth is open to you, Corinthians, our heart expands itself. 12You find no narrowness in us, the narrowness is in your own sympathies. 13As a fair return, I am speaking as to my children, let your hearts expand. 14Do not be yoked up, like unmatched animals, with unbelievers. For what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness, 15or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what share has a believer with an unbeliever? 16What agreement has the Temple of God with idols? For we are the Temple of the living God, as God said, "I will dwell in them and walk among them, and I will be their God and they shall be my people. 17Therefore come out from the midst of them and be separate, says the Lord, and do not touch an unclean thing, and I will receive you 18and will be a Father to you and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord, the Ruler of all."