| NET Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that could defile the body and the spirit, and thus accomplish holiness out of reverence for God. | 1Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God. |
| 2Make room for us in your hearts; we have wronged no one, we have ruined no one, we have exploited no one. | 2Please open your hearts to us. We have not done wrong to anyone, nor led anyone astray, nor taken advantage of anyone. |
| 3I do not say this to condemn you, for I told you before that you are in our hearts so that we die together and live together with you. | 3I’m not saying this to condemn you. I said before that you are in our hearts, and we live or die together with you. |
| 4I have great confidence in you; I take great pride on your behalf. I am filled with encouragement; I am overflowing with joy in the midst of all our suffering. | 4I have the highest confidence in you, and I take great pride in you. You have greatly encouraged me and made me happy despite all our troubles. Paul’s Joy at the Church’s Repentance |
| 5For even when we came into Macedonia, our body had no rest at all, but we were troubled in every way--struggles from the outside, fears from within. | 5When we arrived in Macedonia, there was no rest for us. We faced conflict from every direction, with battles on the outside and fear on the inside. |
| 6But God, who encourages the downhearted, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus. | 6But God, who encourages those who are discouraged, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus. |
| 7We were encouraged not only by his arrival, but also by the encouragement you gave him, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your deep concern for me, so that I rejoiced more than ever. | 7His presence was a joy, but so was the news he brought of the encouragement he received from you. When he told us how much you long to see me, and how sorry you are for what happened, and how loyal you are to me, I was filled with joy! |
| 8For even if I made you sad by my letter, I do not regret having written it (even though I did regret it, for I see that my letter made you sad, though only for a short time). | 8I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful to you for a little while. |
| 9Now I rejoice, not because you were made sad, but because you were made sad to the point of repentance. For you were made sad as God intended, so that you were not harmed in any way by us. | 9Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way. |
| 10For sadness as intended by God produces a repentance that leads to salvation, leaving no regret, but worldly sadness brings about death. | 10For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death. |
| 11For see what this very thing, this sadness as God intended, has produced in you: what eagerness, what defense of yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what deep concern, what punishment! In everything you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. | 11Just see what this godly sorrow produced in you! Such earnestness, such concern to clear yourselves, such indignation, such alarm, such longing to see me, such zeal, and such a readiness to punish wrong. You showed that you have done everything necessary to make things right. |
| 12So then, even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did wrong, or on account of the one who was wronged, but to reveal to you your eagerness on our behalf before God. | 12My purpose, then, was not to write about who did the wrong or who was wronged. I wrote to you so that in the sight of God you could see for yourselves how loyal you are to us. |
| 13Therefore we have been encouraged. And in addition to our own encouragement, we rejoiced even more at the joy of Titus, because all of you have refreshed his spirit. | 13We have been greatly encouraged by this. In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was about the way all of you welcomed him and set his mind at ease. |
| 14For if I have boasted to him about anything concerning you, I have not been embarrassed by you, but just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting to Titus about you has proved true as well. | 14I had told him how proud I was of you—and you didn’t disappoint me. I have always told you the truth, and now my boasting to Titus has also proved true! |
| 15And his affection for you is much greater when he remembers the obedience of you all, how you welcomed him with fear and trembling. | 15Now he cares for you more than ever when he remembers the way all of you obeyed him and welcomed him with such fear and deep respect. |
| 16I rejoice because in everything I am fully confident in you. | 16I am very happy now because I have complete confidence in you. |
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