The precise reference for the words at home and away is not clear. Good News Translation takes them to mean “at home here [in our earthly existence]” as in 5.6; but it is just as possible that the sense is “at home with the Lord or away from him” as in 5.8 (so Contemporary English Version). In either case the meaning is essentially the same, namely, “whether in this life or in the life to come.” In some languages away will be translated by the negative of at home, that is, “not at home.”

Note that Good News Translation has restructured this verse so that it speaks first of Paul’s strong desire to please the Lord. This may be a helpful model for other languages.

We make it our aim: the verb used here is found elsewhere only in Rom 15.20 and 1 Thes 4.11. It indicates a very strong desire to do something. Good News Translation attempts to reflect this by beginning the sentence with “More than anything else….” Some other possible renderings are: “we make it our ambition…” (New Jerusalem Bible and Anchor Bible); “we are eager…” (Moffatt); “we try our best…” (Contemporary English Version).

To please him: the pronoun him refers to the Lord Jesus. The verb in this expression may have to be translated in other languages by a causative form such as “cause to be pleased” or “make happy.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellingworth, Paul. A Handbook on Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .