2 Corinthians 12:21 “I am afraid that when I come again, my God will humble me before you,…”

2 Corinthians 12:21

I am afraid that when I come again, my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of their acts of impurity, sexual immorality, and debauchery.

Berean Standard Bible

Other translations

King James Version

And lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed.

World English Bible

that again when I come my God would humble me before you, and I would mourn for many of those who have sinned before now, and not repented of the uncleanness, sexual immorality, and lustfulness which they committed.

American Standard Version

lest again when I come my God should humble me before you, and I should mourn for many of them that have sinned heretofore, and repented not of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they committed.

Geneva Bible 1599

I feare least when I come againe, my God abase me among you, and I shall bewaile many of them which haue sinned already, and haue not repented of the vncleannesse, and fornication, and wantonnesse which they haue committed.

Darby Translation

lest my God should humble me as to you when I come again, and that I shall grieve over many of those who have sinned before, and have not repented as to the uncleanness and fornication and licentiousness which they have practised.

Young's Literal Translation

lest again having come, my God may humble me in regard to you, and I may bewail many of those having sinned before, and not having reformed concerning the uncleanness, and whoredom, and lasciviousness, that they did practise.

Bible in Basic English

And that when I come again, my God may put me to shame among you, and I may have grief for those who have done wrong before and have had no regret for their unclean ways, and for the evil desires of the flesh to which they have given way.

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Cross references

“my God”

2 Corinthians 12:7 2 Corinthians 8:24 2 Corinthians 9:3 2 Corinthians 9:4

2 Corinthians 12:7 · BSB

or because of these surpassingly great revelations. So to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.

2 Corinthians 8:24 · BSB

In full view of the churches, then, show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our boasting about you.

2 Corinthians 9:3 · BSB

But I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you in this matter should not prove empty, but that you will be prepared, just as I said.

2 Corinthians 9:4 · BSB

Otherwise, if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we—to say nothing of you—would be ashamed of having been so confident.

“that I”

Exodus 32:31 Deuteronomy 9:15 Deuteronomy 9:25 1 Samuel 15:35 Ezra 9:3 Ezra 10:1

Exodus 32:31 · BSB

So Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made gods of gold for themselves.

Deuteronomy 9:15 · BSB

So I went back down the mountain while it was blazing with fire, with the two tablets of the covenant in my hands.

Deuteronomy 9:25 · BSB

So I fell down before the LORD for forty days and forty nights, because the LORD had said He would destroy you.

1 Samuel 15:35 · BSB

And to the day of his death, Samuel never again visited Saul. Samuel mourned for Saul, and the LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.

Ezra 9:3 · BSB

When I heard this report, I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled out some hair from my head and beard, and sat down in horror.

Ezra 10:1 · BSB

While Ezra prayed and made this confession, weeping and falling facedown before the house of God, a very large assembly of Israelites—men, women, and children—gathered around him, and the people wept bitterly as well.

“sinned”

2 Corinthians 13:2

2 Corinthians 13:2 · BSB

I already warned you the second time I was with you. So now in my absence I warn those who sinned earlier and everyone else: If I return, I will not spare anyone,

“and have not”

2 Corinthians 7:9–11 2 Corinthians 10:6 1 Corinthians 6:9–11 Revelation 22:20 2 Corinthians 2:5–11

2 Corinthians 7:9–11 · BSB

yet now I rejoice, not because you were made sorrowful, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you felt the sorrow that God had intended, and so were not harmed in any way by us.

2 Corinthians 10:6 · BSB

And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, as soon as your obedience is complete.

1 Corinthians 6:9–11 · BSB

Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts,

Revelation 22:20 · BSB

He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

2 Corinthians 2:5–11 · BSB

Now if anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved me but all of you—to some degree, not to overstate it.

“uncleanness”

1 Corinthians 5:1 1 Corinthians 5:9–11 Galatians 5:19 Colossians 3:5 Revelation 21:8 Jude 1:7

1 Corinthians 5:1 · BSB

It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is intolerable even among pagans: A man has his father’s wife.

1 Corinthians 5:9–11 · BSB

I wrote you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people.

Galatians 5:19 · BSB

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery;

Colossians 3:5 · BSB

Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry.

Revelation 21:8 · BSB

But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.”

Jude 1:7 · BSB

In like manner, Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, who indulged in sexual immorality and pursued strange flesh, are on display as an example of those who sustain the punishment of eternal fire.

Cross references adapted from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0) and the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

In context

20For I am afraid that when I come, I may not find you as I wish, and you may not find me as you wish. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, rage, rivalry, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorder.

Read 2 Corinthians 12