¹For we know that if our earthly tent-house is dissolved, we have a building from God, an age-abiding house in the heavens, not made by hands. ²For indeed, we groan in this respect, longing to put on our dwelling from heaven, ³and then if clothed, we will not be found naked. ⁴And indeed, being in the tent, we groan, weighed down because we do not wish to take clothes off, but to put clothes on, so that that which is mortal is swallowed up by life. ⁵But he who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has also given us the pledge: the spirit. ⁶So we are always of good courage, also knowing that although we are at home in the body, we are away from home, being away from the Lord – ⁷for we walk by faith, not by sight – ⁸but we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from home out of the body and be at home with the Lord. ⁹This is also why, whether at home or away from home, we aspire to be pleasing to him. ¹⁰For we must all be manifested before Christ's court, in order that each should receive what is due for the things he did in the body, whether a good or bad thing. ¹¹So knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we have been manifested to God, and I hope we have also been manifested in your consciences. ¹²For we do not commend ourselves to you again, but we give you an occasion for boasting on our behalf, so that you may have something in answer to those who boast superficially but not in the heart. ¹³For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God, and if we are of sound mind, it is for you. ¹⁴For the love of Christ constrains us, as we conclude as follows, that if one died for all, then all must have died, ¹⁵and he died for all, in order that those living should no longer live for themselves, but for him who died for them and was raised again. ¹⁶The result is that from now on we know no-one according to the flesh. And even if we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we no longer know him that way, ¹⁷with the result that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation – the old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. ¹⁸And all things are from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, ¹⁹in that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their transgressions to them, and he has placed the word of reconciliation among us to his own ends. ²⁰So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God pleads through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. ²¹For he made him who knew no sin to be sin for our sakes, in order that we might become the righteousness of God in him.