2 Corinthians 4:12

Good News Translation

This means that death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So then, death is at work in us, but life in you.

King James Version (1611)
So then death worketh in vs, but life in you.

King James Version
So then death worketh in us, but life in you.

English Standard Version
So death is at work in us, but life in you.

New American Standard Bible
So death works in us, but life in you.

New Century Version
So death is working in us, but life is working in you.

Amplified Bible
So physical death is [actively] at work in us, but [spiritual] life [is actively at work] in you.

Legacy Standard Bible
So death works in us, but life in you.

Berean Standard Bible
So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

Contemporary English Version
This means that death is working in us, but life is working in you.

Complete Jewish Bible
Thus death is at work in us but life in you.

Darby Translation
so that death works in us, but life in you.

Easy-to-Read Version
So death is working in us, but the result is that life is working in you.

Geneva Bible (1587)
So then death worketh in vs, & life in you.

George Lamsa Translation
Thus death is close to us, but life is nigh to you.

Lexham English Bible
So then, death is at work in us, but life in you.

Literal Translation
so that death indeed works in us, and life in you.

American Standard Version
So then death worketh in us, but life in you.

Bible in Basic English
So then, death is working in us, but life in you.

Hebrew Names Version
So then death works in us, but life in you.

International Standard Version
And so death is at work in us, but life is at workis at work">[fn] in you.2 Corinthians 13:9;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
Now death in us worketh earnestly, but life in you.

Murdock Translation
Now therefore, in us death is active, but in you, life.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
So then, death worketh in vs, but life in you.

English Revised Version
So then death worketh in us, but life in you.

World English Bible
So then death works in us, but life in you.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
So then death worketh in us, but life in you. Yet having the same spirit of faith,

Weymouth's New Testament
Thus we are constantly dying, while you are in full enjoyment of Life.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor deth worchith in vs, but lijf worchith in you.

Update Bible Version
So then death works in us, but life in you.

Webster's Bible Translation
So then death worketh in us, but life in you.

New English Translation
As a result, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

New King James Version
So then death is working in us, but life in you.

New Living Translation
So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.

New Life Bible
Death is working in us because we work for the Lord, but His life is working in you.

New Revised Standard
So death is at work in us, but life in you.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So that, his death, in us, doth energise, but, his life, in you.

Douay-Rheims Bible
So then death worketh in us: but life in you.

Revised Standard Version
So death is at work in us, but life in you.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
So then deeth worketh in vs and lyfe in you.

Young's Literal Translation
so that, the death indeed in us doth work, and the life in you.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Therfore is death now mightie in vs, but life in you.

Mace New Testament (1729)
so that I suffer the influences of his death, while you only feel the effects of his life.

Simplified Cowboy Version
We go through the worst so you can have the best—eternal life.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
So death works in us, but life in you.

Contextual Overview

⁸ We are often troubled, but not crushed; sometimes in doubt, but never in despair; ⁹ there are many enemies, but we are never without a friend; and though badly hurt at times, we are not destroyed. ¹⁰ At all times we carry in our mortal bodies the death of Jesus, so that his life also may be seen in our bodies. ¹¹ Throughout our lives we are always in danger of death for Jesus' sake, in order that his life may be seen in this mortal body of ours. ¹² This means that death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. ¹³ The scripture says, "I spoke because I believed." In the same spirit of faith we also speak because we believe. ¹⁴ We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus to life, will also raise us up with Jesus and take us, together with you, into his presence. ¹⁵ All this is for your sake; and as God's grace reaches more and more people, they will offer to the glory of God more prayers of thanksgiving. ¹⁶ For this reason we never become discouraged. Even though our physical being is gradually decaying, yet our spiritual being is renewed day after day. ¹⁷ And this small and temporary trouble we suffer will bring us a tremendous and eternal glory, much greater than the trouble.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

death: 2 Corinthians 12:15, 2 Corinthians 13:9, Acts 20:24, 1 Corinthians 4:10, Philippians 2:17, Philippians 2:30, 1 John 3:16

Cross-References

Genesis 4:3
After some time Cain brought some of his harvest and gave it as an offering to the Lord .

Genesis 4:4
Then Abel brought the first lamb born to one of his sheep, killed it, and gave the best parts of it as an offering. The Lord was pleased with Abel and his offering,

Genesis 4:14
You are driving me off the land and away from your presence. I will be a homeless wanderer on the earth, and anyone who finds me will kill me."

Genesis 4:17
Cain and his wife had a son and named him Enoch. Then Cain built a city and named it after his son.

Genesis 4:18
Enoch had a son named Irad, who was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael had a son named Methushael, who was the father of Lamech.

Genesis 4:23
Lamech said to his wives, "Adah and Zillah, listen to me: I have killed a young man because he struck me.

Genesis 4:24
If seven lives are taken to pay for killing Cain, Seventy-seven will be taken if anyone kills me."

Leviticus 26:20
All your hard work will do you no good, because your land will not produce crops and the trees will not bear fruit.

Leviticus 26:36
"I will make those of you who are in exile so terrified that the sound of a leaf blowing in the wind will make you run. You will run as if you were being pursued in battle, and you will fall when there is no enemy near you.

Psalms 109:10
May his children be homeless beggars; may they be driven from the ruins they live in!

Gill's Notes on the Bible

So then death worketh in us,.... This is the conclusion of the foregoing account, or the inference deduced from it; either the death, or dying of Christ, that is, the sufferings of his body, the church, for his sake, ενεργειται, "is wrought in us"; fulfilled and perfected in us; see Colossians 1:24 or rather a corporeal death has seized upon us; the seeds of death are in us; our flesh, our bodies are mortal, dying off apace; death has already attacked us, is working on our constitutions gradually, and unpinning our tabernacles, which in a short time will be wholly took down and laid in the dust:

but life in you. Some understand these words as spoken ironically, like those in 1 Corinthians 4:8 but the apostle seems not to be speaking in such a strain, but in the most serious manner, and about things solemn and awful; and his meaning is, ours is the sorrow, the trouble, the affliction, and death itself, yours is the gain, the joy, the pleasure, and life; what we get by preaching the Gospel are reproach, persecution, and death; but this Gospel we preach at such expense is the savour of life unto life to you, and is the means of maintaining spiritual life in your souls, and of nourishing you up unto eternal life; and which is no small encouragement to us to go on in our work with boldness and cheerfulness: or these words regard the different state and condition of the apostle, and other ministers, and of the Corinthians; the one were in adversity, and the other in prosperity.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

So then death worketh in us - We are exposed to death. The preaching of the gospel exposes us to trials which may be regarded as death working in us. Death has an energy over us (ἐνεργεῖται energeitai, is at work, is active, or operates); it is constantly employed in inflicting pains on us, and subjecting us to privation and trials. This is a strong and emphatic mode of saying that they were always exposed to death. We are called to serve and glorify the Redeemer, as it were, by repeated deaths and by constantly dying.

But life in you - You live as the effect of our being constantly exposed to death. You reap the advantage of all our exposure to trials, and of all our sufferings. You are comparatively safe; are freed from this exposure to death; and will receive eternal life as the fruit of our toils, and exposures. Life here may refer either to exemption from danger and death; or it may refer to the life of religion; the hopes of piety; the prospect of eternal salvation. To me it seems most probable that Paul means to use it in the latter sense, and that he designs to say that while he was exposed to death and called to endure constant trial, the effect would be that they would obtain, in consequence of his sufferings, the blessedness of eternal life; compare 2 Corinthians 4:15. Thus understood, this passage means, that the sufferings and self-denials of the apostles were for the good of others, and would result in their benefit and salvation; and the design of Paul here is to remind them of his sufferings in their behalf, in order to conciliate their favor and bind them more closely to him by the remembrance of his sufferings on their account.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Corinthians 4:12. Death worketh in us, c.] We apostles are in continual danger, and live a dying life while you who have received this Gospel from us are in no danger.