5:1   For we know that if the earthly tent which serves as our house becomes torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

5:2   For indeed in this house we groan, longing to become clothed with our dwelling from heaven,

5:3  inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not find ourselves naked.

5:4  For indeed while we dwell in this tent, we groan, feeling burdened, because we do not want to feel unclothed but to feel clothed, so that what we know as mortal will become swallowed up by life.

5:5  Now God prepared us for this very purpose , who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.

5:6   Therefore, always having of good courage, and knowing that while we dwell at home in the body we find ourselves absent from the Lord--

5:7   for we walk by faith, not by sight--

5:8   we have good courage, I say, and prefer rather to remain absent from the body and to become at home with the Lord.

5:9   Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to please Him.

5:10   For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive recompense for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

5:11   Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we becoming manifest to God; and I hope that we manifest also in your consciences.

5:12   We do not again commend ourselves to you but give you an occasion to have pride in us, so that you will have an answer for those who take pride in appearance and not in heart.

5:13   For if we seem beside ourselves, we do it for God; if we have a sound mind, we have it for you.

5:14   For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died;

5:15  and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.

5:16   Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer.

5:17   Therefore if anyone dwells in Christ, he has become a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

5:18   Now all these things come from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,

5:19   namely, that God performed through Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

5:20   Therefore, we serve as ambassadors for Christ, as though God had made an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, to reconcile yourselves to God.

5:21   He made Him who knew no sin to represent sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.