2 Corinthians 12:21

KJV1611 – Modern English

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

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Μὴ, πάλιν ἐλθόντα, με ταπεινώσει ὁ Θεός μου πρὸς ὑμᾶς, καὶ πενθήσω πολλοὺς τῶν προημαρτηκότων, καὶ μὴ μετανοησάντων ἐπὶ τῇ ἀκαθαρσίᾳ καὶ πορνείᾳ καὶ ἀσελγείᾳ ᾗ ἔπραξαν.

Transliteration

Mē, again having elthonta, me tapeinōsei the Theos of me before you, and I penthēsō many of the proēmartēkotōn, and not having metanoēsantōn over the akatharsia and porneia and aselgeia which they epraxan.

Grammar Details

• *Mē*: negative particle - lest/not
• *elthonta*: aorist participle, active, accusative, masculine, singular - having come
• *tapeinōsei*: future indicative, active, 3rd singular - will humble
• *Theos*: nominative, masculine, singular - God
• *penthēsō*: future indicative, active, 1st singular - I will mourn/lament
• *proēmartēkotōn*: perfect participle, active, genitive, masculine, plural - having sinned before
• *metanoēsantōn*: aorist participle, active, genitive, masculine, plural - having repented
• *akatharsia*: dative, feminine, singular - uncleanness/impurity
• *porneia*: dative, feminine, singular - sexual immorality/fornication
• *aselgeia*: dative, feminine, singular - sensuality/licentiousness
• *epraxan*: aorist indicative, active, 3rd plural - they did/practiced

Word Meanings

• *tapeinōsei*: will humble/will bring low/will make ashamed
• *penthēsō*: I will mourn/I will lament/I will grieve
• *proēmartēkotōn*: having sinned before/having previously sinned
• *metanoēsantōn*: having repented/having changed their mind
• *akatharsia*: uncleanness/impurity/filthiness
• *porneia*: sexual immorality/fornication/prostitution
• *aselgeia*: sensuality/licentiousness/debauchery
• *epraxan*: they did/they practiced/they committed

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  I fear that when I come again, my God will humble me before you, and I will grieve over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality they have practiced.

• King James Version 1769 (Standard 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.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  lest again when I come {G3825} 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.

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  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.

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  I feare lest when I come agayne God brynge me lowe amoge you and I be constrayned to bewayle many of the which have synned all redy and have not repented of the vnclennes fornicacion and wantanes which they haue committed.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  lest whan I come agayne, God bringe me lowe amoge you & lest I be constrayned to bewayle many of the yt haue synned before, & haue not repented ouer ye vnclennesse and whordome, and wantonnes, which they haue comytted.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  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.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And that when I come agayne, my God bryng me lowe among you, and I shall bewayle many of the which haue sinned alredy, and haue not repented of the vncleannesse, and fornication, and wantonnes, which they haue comitted.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  [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.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  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 and sexual immorality and lustfulness which they committed.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  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.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  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.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  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.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  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.

• World English Bible (2000)

  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 and sexual immorality and lustfulness which they committed.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  I am afraid that when I come again, my God may humiliate me before you, and I will grieve for many of those who previously sinned and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and licentiousness that they have practiced.

Referenced Verses

• 2 Cor 13:2 : 2 I told you before, and foretell now, as if I were present the second time; and being absent now I write to those who have sinned in the past, and to all others, that if I come again, I will not spare:
• Gal 5:19 : 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are these: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,
• Col 3:5 : 5 Therefore, put to death your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
• 1 Cor 5:1 : 1 It is commonly reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles, that a man has his father's wife.
• 1 Cor 5:9-9 : 9 I wrote to you in a letter not to associate with sexually immoral people. 10 Yet not entirely with the sexually immoral of this world, or with the greedy, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone who is called a brother if he is sexually immoral, or greedy, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person.
• 1 Cor 6:9-9 : 9 Do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor the effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but you are washed, but you are sanctified, but you are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
• 1 Cor 6:15-18 : 15 Do you not know that your bodies are the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of a harlot? God forbid. 16 What? Do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body? For two, says He, shall be one flesh. 17 But he who is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. 18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man does is outside the body; but he who commits fornication sins against his own body.
• 2 Cor 2:1-9 : 1 But I decided this for myself, that I would not come to you again in sorrow. 2 For if I cause you sorrow, who then makes me glad, except the one whom I made sorrowful? 3 And I wrote this to you so that when I come, I would not have sorrow from those who ought to bring me joy; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all. 4 For out of much trouble and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears; not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love I have more abundantly toward you. 5 But if anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved me, but in part, that I may not put too much burden on you all. 6 The punishment inflicted by many is sufficient for such a person. 7 So, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with excessive sorrow. 8 Therefore I urge you to confirm your love toward him. 9 For to this end I also wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in all things. 10 To whom you forgive anything, I forgive also; for if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven it for your sakes in the presence of Christ. 11 Lest Satan should take advantage of us, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.
• 2 Cor 7:9-9 : 9 Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that you sorrowed to repentance: for you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer damage by us in nothing. 10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world produces death. 11 For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner, what diligence it produced in you, yes, what clearing of yourselves, yes, what indignation, yes, what fear, yes, what vehement desire, yes, what zeal, yes, what vindication! In all things you have proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.
• 2 Cor 8:24 : 24 Therefore show to them and before the churches the proof of your love and of our boasting on your behalf.
• 2 Cor 9:3-4 : 3 Yet I have sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain regarding this matter; that, as I said, you may be ready: 4 Lest if those of Macedonia come with me and find you unprepared, we (not to say you) should be ashamed of this same confident boasting.
• 2 Cor 10:6 : 6 And being ready to punish all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
• 2 Cor 12:7 : 7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
• Exod 32:31 : 31 Moses returned to the LORD and said, "Oh, these people have committed a great sin, and have made gods of gold for themselves.
• Deut 9:15 : 15 So I turned and came down from the mountain, and the mountain burned with fire: and the two tablets of the covenant were in my two hands.
• Deut 9:25 : 25 So I fell down before the LORD forty days and forty nights, as I fell down at the first; because the LORD had said he would destroy you.
• 1 Sam 15:35 : 35 And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and the LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.
• Ezra 9:3 : 3 And when I heard this thing, I tore my garment and my mantle, and pulled out the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonished.
• Ezra 10:1 : 1 Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and laying himself down before the house of God, a very large assembly of men, women, and children gathered to him out of Israel, for the people wept bitterly.
• Ps 119:136 : 136 Rivers of water run down from my eyes, because men do not keep Your law.
• Jer 9:1 : 1 Oh that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!
• Jer 13:17 : 17 But if you will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and my eye shall weep bitterly, and run down with tears, because the LORD's flock is taken captive.
• Luke 9:41-42 : 41 And Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here. 42 And as he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him. Then Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the child, and gave him back to his father.
• Rom 9:2 : 2 That I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart.
• Rom 13:13 : 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy.
• 1 Thess 4:3-7 : 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification, that you should abstain from fornication: 4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor; 5 Not in passionate lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God: 6 That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. 7 For God has not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
• Heb 13:4 : 4 Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.
• 1 Pet 4:2-3 : 2 That he should no longer live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. 3 For the time past of our life may suffice us to have done the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in sensuality, lusts, excess of wine, revelings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:
• 2 Pet 2:10-14 : 10 And especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed, and not afraid to speak evil of dignities. 11 Whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a slanderous accusation against them before the Lord. 12 But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption; 13 And will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, reveling in their own deceptions while they banquet with you; 14 Having eyes full of adultery and unable to cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices and are accursed children.
• 2 Pet 2:18 : 18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through wantonness, those who have barely escaped from those who live in error.
• Jude 1:7 : 7 As Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
• Jude 1:23 : 23 but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.
• Rev 21:8 : 8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and sexually immoral, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
• Rev 22:15 : 15 For outside are dogs, and sorcerers, and sexually immoral, and murderers, and idolaters, and whoever loves and makes a lie.
• Rev 22:20 : 20 He who testifies to these things says, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
• Eph 5:5-6 : 5 For this you know, that no sexually immoral, unclean, or greedy person, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words: for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the children of disobedience.
• Phil 3:18-19 : 18 For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 Whose end is destruction, whose god is their stomach, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their mind on earthly things.