2 Corinthians 7

1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Loved ones, since we have these promises, let us cleanse ourselves of everything that makes us unclean in our body and spirit. Let us pursue holiness in the fear of God.

2 Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man.

Make room for us! We have not wronged anyone. We have not harmed anyone or taken advantage of anyone.

3 I speak not [this] to condemn [you]: for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with [you].

It is not to condemn you that I say this. For I have already said that you are in our hearts, for us to die together and to live together.

4 Great [is] my boldness of speech toward you, great [is] my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.

I have great confidence in you, and I am proud of you. I am filled with comfort. I overflow with joy even in all our afflictions.

5 For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without [were] fightings, within [were] fears.

When we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest. Instead, we were troubled in every way by conflicts on the outside and fears on the inside.

6 Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus;

But God, who comforts the discouraged, comforted us by the arrival of Titus.

7 And not by his coming only, but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you, when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me; so that I rejoiced the more.

It was not only by his arrival that God comforted us. It was also by the comfort that Titus had received from you. He told us of your great affection, your sorrow, and your deep concern for me. So I rejoiced even more.

8 For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though [it were] but for a season.

Even though my letter made you sad, I do not regret it. But I did regret it when I saw that my letter made you sad. But you were sad just for a little while.

9 Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.

Now I rejoice, not because you were distressed, but because your sadness brought you to repentance. You experienced a godly sorrow, so you suffered no loss because of us.

10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

For godly sorrow brings about repentance that accomplishes salvation without regret. Worldly sorrow, however, brings about death.

11 For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, [what] clearing of yourselves, yea, [what] indignation, yea, [what] fear, yea, [what] vehement desire, yea, [what] zeal, yea, [what] revenge! In all [things] ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

See what great determination this godly sorrow produced in you. How great was the determination in you to prove you were innocent. How great was your indignation, your fear, your longing, your zeal, and your desire to see that justice should be done! In everything you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.

12 Wherefore, though I wrote unto you, [I did it] not for his cause that had done the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear unto you.

Although I wrote to you, I did not write for the sake of the wrongdoer, nor for the one who suffered the wrong, but so that your good will toward us should be made known to you in the sight of God.

13 Therefore we were comforted in your comfort: yea, and exceedingly the more joyed we for the joy of Titus, because his spirit was refreshed by you all.

It is by this that we are encouraged. In addition to our own comfort, we also rejoiced even more because of Titus' joy, because his spirit was refreshed by all of you.

14 For if I have boasted any thing to him of you, I am not ashamed; but as we spake all things to you in truth, even so our boasting, which [I made] before Titus, is found a truth.

For if I boasted to him about you, I was not embarrassed. On the contrary, just as everything we said to you was true, our boasting about you to Titus proved to be true.

15 And his inward affection is more abundant toward you, whilst he remembereth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him.

His affection for you is even greater, as he remembers the obedience of all of you, how you welcomed him with fear and trembling.

16 I rejoice therefore that I have confidence in you in all [things.]

I rejoice because I have complete confidence in you.