Adjuvantes autem exhortamur ne in vacuum gratiam Dei recipiatis.

And we helping do exhort you, that you receive not the grace of God in vain.

And now, to further that work, we entreat you not to offer God’s grace an inef-fectual welcome.

Ait enim: Tempore accepto exaudivi te, et in die salutis adjuvi te. Ecce nunc tempus acceptabile, ecce nunc dies salutis.

For he saith: In an accepted time have I heard thee; and in the day of salvation have I helped thee. Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

(I have answered thy prayer, he says, in a time of pardon, I have brought thee help in a day of salvation. And here is the time of pardon; the day of salvation has come already.)

Nemini dantes ullam offensionem, ut non vituperetur ministerium nostrum:

Giving no offence to any man, that our ministry be not blamed:

We are careful not to give offence to anybody, lest we should bring discredit on our ministry;

sed in omnibus exhibeamus nosmetipsos sicut Dei ministros in multa patientia, in tribulationibus, in necessitatibus, in angustiis,

But in all things let us exhibit ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in tribulation, in necessities, in distresses,

as God’s ministers, we must do everything to make ourselves acceptable. We have to shew great patience, in times of affliction, of need, of difficulty;

in plagis, in carceribus, in seditionibus, in laboribus, in vigiliis, in jejuniis,

In stripes, in prisons, in seditions, in labours, in watchings, in fastings,

under the lash, in prison, in the midst of tumult; when we are tired out, sleepless, and fasting.

in castitate, in scientia, in longanimitate, in suavitate, in Spiritu Sancto, in caritate non ficta,

In chastity, in knowledge, in longsuffering, in sweetness, in the Holy Ghost, in charity unfeigned,

We have to be pure-minded, enlightened, forgiving and gracious to others; we have to rely on the Holy Spirit, on unaffected love,

in verbo veritatis, in virtute Dei, per arma justitiæ a dextris et a sinistris,

In the word of truth, in the power of God; by the armour of justice on the right hand and on the left;

on the truth of our message, on the power of God. To right and to left we must be armed with innocence;

per gloriam, et ignobilitatem, per infamiam, et bonam famam: ut seductores, et veraces, sicut qui ignoti, et cogniti:

By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet known;

now honoured, now slighted, now traduced, now flattered. They call us deceivers, and we tell the truth; unknown, and we are fully acknowledged;

quasi morientes, et ecce vivimus: ut castigati, et non mortificati:

As dying, and behold we live; as chastised, and not killed;

dying men, and see, we live; punished, yes, but not doomed to die;

quasi tristes, semper autem gaudentes: sicut egentes, multos autem locupletantes: tamquam nihil habentes, et omnia possidentes.

As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as needy, yet enriching many; as having nothing, and possessing all things.

sad men, that rejoice continually; beggars, that bring riches to many; disinherited, and the world is ours.

Os nostrum patet ad vos, o Corinthii; cor nostrum dilatatum est.

Our mouth is open to you, O ye Corinthians, our heart is enlarged.

We are speaking freely to you, Corinthians; we throw our hearts wide open to you.

Non angustiamini in nobis: angustiamini autem in visceribus vestris:

You are not straitened in us, but in your own bowels you are straitened.

It is not our fault, it is the fault of your own affections, that you feel constraint with us.

eamdem autem habentes remunerationem, tamquam filiis dico, dilatamini et vos.

But having the same recompense, (I speak as to my children,) be you also enlarged.

Pay us back in the same coin (I am speaking to you as to my children); open your hearts wide too.

Nolite jugum ducere cum infidelibus. Quæ enim participatio justitiæ cum iniquitate? aut quæ societas luci ad tenebras?

Bear not the yoke with unbelievers. For what participation hath justice with injustice? Or what fellowship hath light with darkness?

You must not consent to be yokefellows with unbelievers. What has innocence to do with lawlessness? What is there in common between light and darkness?

quæ autem conventio Christi ad Belial? aut quæ pars fideli cum infideli?

And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath the faithful with the unbeliever?

What harmony between Christ and Belial? How can a believer throw in his lot with an infidel?

qui autem consensus templo Dei cum idolis? vos enim estis templum Dei vivi, sicut dicit Deus: Quoniam inhabitabo in illis, et inambulabo inter eos, et ero illorum Deus, et ipsi erunt mihi populus.

And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God; as God saith: I will dwell in them, and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

How can the temple of God have any commerce with idols? And you are the temple of the living God; God has told us so; I will live and move among them, and be their God, and they shall be my people.

Propter quod exite de medio eorum, et separamini, dicit Dominus, et immundum ne tetigeritis:

Wherefore, Go out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing:

Come out, then, from among them, the Lord says to us, separate yourselves from them, and do not even touch what is unclean;

et ego recipiam vos: et ero vobis in patrem, et vos eritis mihi in filios et filias, dicit Dominus omnipotens.

And I will receive you; and I will be a Father to you; and you shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

then I will make you welcome. I will be your Father, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord, the Almighty.