| New International Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. | 1Therefore, dear friends, since we have such promises, let us cleanse ourselves from every impurity of the flesh and spirit, completing our sanctification in the fear of God. |
| 2Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one. | 2Accept us. We have wronged no one, corrupted no one, defrauded no one. |
| 3I do not say this to condemn you; I have said before that you have such a place in our hearts that we would live or die with you. | 3I don't say this to condemn you, for I have already said that you are in our hearts, to live together and to die together. |
| 4I have spoken to you with great frankness; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds. | 4I have great confidence in you; I have great pride in you. I am filled with encouragement; I am overcome with joy in all our afflictions. |
| 5For when we came into Macedonia, we had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn--conflicts on the outside, fears within. | 5In fact, when we came into Macedonia, we had no rest. Instead, we were troubled in every way: conflicts on the outside, fears inside. |
| 6But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, | 6But God, who comforts the humble, comforted us by the arrival of Titus, |
| 7and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever. | 7and not only by his arrival, but also by the comfort he received from you. He told us about your deep longing, your sorrow, and your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more. |
| 8Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it--I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while-- | 8For even if I grieved you with my letter, I do not regret it--even though I did regret it since I saw that the letter grieved you, yet only for a little while. |
| 9yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. | 9Now I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because your grief led to repentance. For you were grieved as God willed, so that you didn't experience any loss from us. |
| 10Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. | 10For godly grief produces a repentance not to be regretted and leading to salvation, but worldly grief produces death. |
| 11See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. | 11For consider how much diligence this very thing--this grieving as God wills--has produced in you: what a desire to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what deep longing, what zeal, what justice! In every way you showed yourselves to be pure in this matter. |
| 12So even though I wrote to you, it was neither on account of the one who did the wrong nor on account of the injured party, but rather that before God you could see for yourselves how devoted to us you are. | 12So even though I wrote to you, it was not because of the one who did wrong, or because of the one who was wronged, but in order that your diligence for us might be made plain to you in the sight of God. |
| 13By all this we are encouraged. In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you. | 13For this reason we have been comforted. In addition to our comfort, we rejoiced even more over the joy Titus had, because his spirit was refreshed by all of you. |
| 14I had boasted to him about you, and you have not embarrassed me. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting about you to Titus has proved to be true as well. | 14For if I have made any boast to him about you, I have not been embarrassed; but as I have spoken everything to you in truth, so our boasting to Titus has also turned out to be the truth. |
| 15And his affection for you is all the greater when he remembers that you were all obedient, receiving him with fear and trembling. | 15And his affection toward you is even greater as he remembers the obedience of all of you, and how you received him with fear and trembling. |
| 16I am glad I can have complete confidence in you. | 16I rejoice that I have complete confidence in you. |
| New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. | Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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