8 We serve God in times of glory and shame. We serve him whether the news about us is bad or good. We are true to our calling. But people treat us as if we were pretenders.
9 We are known, but people treat us as if we were unknown. We are dying, but we continue to live. We are beaten, but we are not killed.
10 We are sad, but we are always full of joy. We are poor, but we make many people rich. We have nothing, but we own everything.
11 Believers at Corinth, we have spoken freely to you. We have opened our hearts wide to you.
12 We are not holding back our love from you. But you are holding back your love from us.
13 I speak to you as if you were my children. It is only fair that you open your hearts wide to us also.
14 Do not be joined to unbelievers. What do right and wrong have in common? Can light and darkness be friends?