2 Corinthians 7

1 Having therefore these promises, beloved, let’s cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

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

2 Open your hearts to us. We wronged no one. We corrupted no one. We took advantage of no one.

Make room for us; we have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one.

3 I say this not to condemn you, for I have said before that you are in our hearts to die together and live together.

I do not say this to condemn you; I have said before that you are in our hearts, whether to die together or to live together.

4 Great is my boldness of speech toward you. Great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort. I overflow with joy in all our affliction.

I have great confidence in you; I do a lot of boasting about you. I am filled with encouragement, overflowing with joy in spite of all our affliction.

5 For even when we had come into Macedonia, our flesh had no relief, but we were afflicted on every side. Fightings were outside. Fear was inside.

Now indeed, when we came into Macedonia we had no physical rest, but were surrounded by affliction—conflicts on the outside, fears on the inside.

6 Nevertheless, he who comforts the lowly, God, comforted us by the coming of Titus,

But the God who encourages the lowly encouraged us by the coming of Titus;

7 and not by his coming only, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you while he told us of your longing, your mourning, and your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more.

and not only by his coming, but also by how much he was encouraged over you as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal in my stead, so that I rejoiced even more.

8 For though I grieved you with my letter, I do not regret it, though I did regret it. For I see that my letter made you grieve, though just for a while.

Even though that letter caused you sorrow, I do not regret it (though I almost did), because I perceive that the letter made you sorry, though only for a while.

9 I now rejoice, not that you were grieved, but that you were grieved to repentance. For you were grieved in a godly way, that you might suffer loss by us in nothing.

Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry as God intended, so as not to be harmed by us in any way.

10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, which brings no regret. But the sorrow of the world produces death.

Now godly sorrow produces repentance into salvation without regret, but the world's sorrow produces death.

11 For behold, this same thing, that you were grieved in a godly way, what earnest care it worked in you. Yes, what defense, indignation, fear, longing, zeal, and vindication! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be pure in the matter.

Just consider your own being caused to sorrow in a godly manner, how much diligence it produced in you—what self-defense, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have demonstrated yourselves to be clear in the matter.

12 So although I wrote to you, I wrote not for his cause that did the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered the wrong, but that your earnest care for us might be revealed in you in the sight of God.

So even though I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the wrongdoer, nor for that of the victim, but, before God, so that your real commitment to us might be made clear to you.

13 Therefore we have been comforted. In our comfort we rejoiced the more exceedingly for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all.

We have been encouraged by all this. Because of your encouragement, we rejoiced all the more over the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all.

14 For if in anything I have boasted to him on your behalf, I was not disappointed. But as we spoke all things to you in truth, so our glorying also which I made before Titus was found to be truth.

Because wherein I boasted to him about you, I was not put to shame, but just as everything we spoke to you was true, so also our boasting to Titus proved to be true.

15 His affection is more abundantly toward you, while he remembers all of your obedience, how with fear and trembling you received him.

Also, his affection for you is all the greater, as he remembers your collective obedience as you received him with fear and trembling.

16 I rejoice that in everything I am confident concerning you.

I am so glad that I have complete confidence in you.