³ It is not with the purpose of judging you that I say this: for I have said before that you are in our hearts for life and death together.

¹¹ Our mouth is open to you, O Corinthians, our heart is wide.

¹² It is not our feelings to you which are narrow, but yours to us.

⁸ Even so, being full of loving desire for you, we took delight in giving you not only God's good news, but even our lives, because you were dear to us.

⁸ For God is my witness, how my love goes out to you all in the loving mercies of Christ Jesus.

⁹ And my prayer is that you may be increased more and more in knowledge and experience;

¹⁰ For this cause I am writing these things while I am away, so that there may be need for me, when I am present, to make use of sharp measures, by the authority which the Lord has given me for building up and not for destruction.

¹⁵ And I will gladly give all I have for your souls. If I have the more love for you, am I to be loved the less?

¹¹ Why? because I have no love for you? let God be judge.

¹² So though I sent you a letter, it was not only because of the man who did the wrong, or because of him to whom the wrong was done, but so that your true care for us might be made clear in the eyes of God.

² You yourselves are our letter, whose writing is in our heart, open for every man's reading and knowledge;

⁴ For out of much trouble and pain of heart and much weeping I sent my letter to you; not to give you sorrow, but so that you might see how great is the love which I have to you.

⁵ But if anyone has been a cause of sorrow, he has been so, not to me only, but in some measure to all of you (I say this that I may not be over-hard on you).

¹⁴ I am not saying these things to put you to shame, but so that, as my dear children, you may see what is right.

¹⁵ For even if you had ten thousand teachers in Christ, you have not more than one father: for in Christ Jesus I have given birth to you through the good news.

¹⁶ But Ruth said, Give up requesting me to go away from you, or to go back without you: for where you go I will go; and where you take your rest I will take my rest; your people will be my people, and your God my God.

¹⁷ Wherever death comes to you, death will come to me, and there will be my last resting-place; the Lord do so to me and more if we are parted by anything but death.