2 Corinthians 7

1 My friends, whom I love, because [God] has promised [to accept us(inc) as his children], we [(inc)] must stop doing anything that is sinful. We must not do sinful things with our bodies, and we must not [think] sinful thoughts. [Because] we greatly revere God, we must strive to [live] a completely pure life. By doing that we will become the kind of people that he wants us to be.

Therfor, most dereworthe britheren, we that han these biheestis, clense we vs fro al filthe of the fleische and of the spirit, doynge holynesse in the drede of God.

2 So, as I just wrote, I want you to love me (OR, us [IDM] [who are true apostles of Christ]). I/we [(exc)] have never done anything wrong to any of you. I/we have not done anything to harm any one of you spiritually or financially. And I/we have not tried to get money from [you] (for myself/for ourselves).

Take ye vs; we han hirt no man, we han apeirid no man, we han bigilid no man.

3 [It is true that some people among you have said that I have done such things. Nevertheless], I am not trying to make you all feel ashamed because, as I wrote before, I will continue to love you all very much [IDM], whether I live with you or die with you. I am very confident about you.

Y seie not to youre condempnyng; for Y seide bifor, that ye ben in youre hertis, to die togidere and to lyue togidere.

4 I am very pleased with you. You have greatly encouraged me, so that I am now very joyful in spite of all the hardships that I have endured.

Myche trist is to me anentis you, myche gloriyng is to me for you. Y am fillid with coumfort, Y am plenteuouse in ioie in al oure tribulacioun.

5 Now [I will write more about what I was saying about Titus]. When I [left Troas and] came [here to] Macedonia [province], I still did not get any rest. Everywhere we [(exc)] went, [people were constantly] causing us trouble. [And not only were] people [constantly causing us] trouble, but I was greatly concerned [about you all].

For whanne we weren comun to Macedonye, oure fleisch hadde no reste, but we suffriden al tribulacioun; with outforth fiytingis, and dredis with ynne.

6 But God, who always encourages his people when they are discouraged, encouraged us by [sending] Titus back to us.

But God that coumfortith meke men, coumfortide vs in the comyng of Tite.

7 I was encouraged by [seeing] Titus, [but when I heard how] you had encouraged him, that encouraged me even more. He told me how much you wanted [to see me. He told me] that you were very sorry [that you had made me so unhappy. He also told me] that you are very eager for me [to continue to serve as your apostle. When Titus told me those things], I was very, very happy.

And not oneli in the comyng of him, but also in the coumfort bi which he was coumfortid in you, tellinge to vs youre desire, youre weping, youre loue for me, so that Y ioiede more.

8 Even though what [I wrote] in my letter (distressed you/made you sad), I am not sorry [that I wrote it]. For a while I was sorry that I had written it, [because I knew that it would distress you]. Now [Titus has also told] me that it did distress you [when you read it], but you were distressed only for a short time.

For thouy Y made you sorie in a pistle, it rewith me not; thouy it rewide, seynge that thouy thilke pistle made you sori at an our, now Y haue ioie;

9 [So now] I am happy [that I wrote it]. I am not happy that you were distressed {that [I] distressed you}, but [I am happy] because, when you became distressed, you felt sorry for what you had done and [you asked God to forgive you. What I mean is that you felt sorry in the way that God wanted you to feel sorry, so my making] you feel sorry did not harm you at all.

not for ye weren maad soreuful, but for ye weren maad soreuful to penaunce. For whi ye ben maad sori aftir God, that in no thing ye suffre peirement of vs.

10 [The fact is that] when God causes [us to feel] truly sorry for having sinned and we turn from our sinful behavior, then God saves us [and will not punish us for the sinful things that we have done]. And no one is ever sorry about that. [However], the people who do not trust [in God] [MTY] may be sorry [for the sinful things that they have done]. But [if they do not turn from their sinful behavior and ask God to forgive them], they will remain separated from him forever.

For the sorewe that is aftir God, worchith penaunce in to stidfast heelthe; but sorewe of the world worchith deth.

11 But [think about what happened when you read my letter]: God caused you to be truly sorry [for what you had done]. You eagerly [wanted to do what was right], and you wanted to show [God] (OR, [me]) that you had done the right thing. You were angry [about what had happened], and you were worried [that God would punish you if the situation continued]. You also wanted me [to visit you to encourage and help you]. You wanted me to know [that you really do accept me as your apostle, and that you punished the man who had sinned, as I told you to do. By doing] all of those things, you have shown [me] that you have done what is right in this matter.

For lo! this same thing, that ye ben soreuful aftir God, hou myche bisynesse it worchith in you; but defendyng, but indignacioun, but drede, but desire, but loue, but veniaunce. In alle thingis ye han youun you silf to be vndefoulid in the cause.

12 So, even though I wrote that [severe] letter to you, I did not [write it just] so that [you would punish] the man who had done what was wrong. Also, I [did not write it] for the benefit of the person whom [he] had wronged. Instead, [I wrote it] so that, when you [read the letter], God would enable you to realize how much you really do respect [my authority].

Therfor thouy Y wroot to you, Y wroot not for hym that dide the iniurie, nether for hym that suffride, but to schewe oure bisinesse, which we han for you bifor God.

13 So, [because you listened to me and did what I asked you to do], (I was/we [(exc)] were all) encouraged. Not only (was I/were we) encouraged, but (I was/we [(exc)] were) [also] very happy to see how happy Titus was [when he arrived here. He told me/us that] he did not need to worry any more, because [he saw] that you all [had a good attitude toward me].

Therfor we ben coumfortid, but in youre coumfort more plenteuousli we ioyeden more on the ioie of Tite, for his spirit is fulfillid of alle you.

14 I had told Titus that I was pleased about you. And I did not need to be ashamed [for feeling that way about you, because you did what I knew that you would do]. Just like everything that I have taught you [and written to you] has been the truth, the good things that I told Titus about you were also true.

And if Y gloriede ony thing anentis hym of you, Y am not confoundid; but as we han spoke to you alle thingis, so also oure glorie that was at Tite, is maad treuthe.

15 Now he happily remembers how you all [were willing to] do [what I asked you to do]. He is [also happy about the way you] treated him with great respect. [When he thinks about those things], [it makes] him love you even more [than he did when he was with you].

And the inwardnesse of hym be more plenteuousli in you, which hath in mynde the obedience of you alle, hou with drede and trembling ye resseyueden hym.

16 [As for me], I am very happy [because now] I am certain that I can depend on you [to do what you know God wants you to do].

Y haue ioye, that in alle thingis Y triste in you.