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

Having, then, these promises, beloved, may we cleanse ourselves from every pollution of flesh and spirit, perfecting sanctification in the fear of God;

2 O pen your hearts to us: we wronged no man, we corrupted no man, we took advantage of no man.

receive us; no one did we wrong; no one did we waste; no one did we defraud;

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

not to condemn you do I say, for I have said before that in our hearts ye are to die with and to live with;

4 G reat is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying on your behalf: I am filled with comfort, I overflow with joy in all our affliction.

great my freedom of speech unto you, great my glory on your behalf; I have been filled with the comfort, I overabound with the joy on all our tribulation,

5 F or even when we were come into Macedonia our flesh had no relief, but we were afflicted on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.

for also we, having come to Macedonia, no relaxation hath our flesh had, but on every side we are in tribulation, without fightings, within -- fears;

6 N evertheless he that comforteth the lowly, even God, comforted us by the coming of Titus;

but He who is comforting the cast-down -- God -- He did comfort us in the presence of Titus;

7 a nd not by his coming only, but also by the comfort wherewith he was comforted in you, while he told us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced yet more.

and not only in his presence, but also in the comfort with which he was comforted over you, declaring to us your longing desire, your lamentation, your zeal for me, so that the more I did rejoice,

8 F or though I made you sorry with my epistle, I do not regret it: though I did regret it (for I see that that epistle made you sorry, though but for a season),

because even if I made you sorry in the letter, I do not repent -- if even I did repent -- for I perceive that the letter, even if for an hour, did make you sorry.

9 I now rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye were made sorry unto repentance; for ye were made sorry after a godly sort, that ye might suffer loss by us in nothing.

I now do rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye were made sorry to reformation, for ye were made sorry toward God, that in nothing ye might receive damage from us;

10 F or godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation, a repentance which bringeth no regret: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

for the sorrow toward God reformation to salvation not to be repented of doth work, and the sorrow of the world doth work death,

11 F or behold, this selfsame thing, that ye were made sorry after a godly sort, what earnest care it wrought in you, yea what clearing of yourselves, yea what indignation, yea what fear, yea what longing, yea what zeal, yea what avenging! In everything ye approved yourselves to be pure in the matter.

for, lo, this same thing -- your being made sorry toward God -- how much diligence it doth work in you! but defence, but displeasure, but fear, but longing desire, but zeal, but revenge; in every thing ye did approve yourselves to be pure in the matter.

12 S o although I wrote unto 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 made manifest unto you in the sight of God.

If, then, I also wrote to you -- not for his cause who did wrong, nor for his cause who did suffer wrong, but for our diligence in your behalf being manifested unto you before God --

13 T herefore we have been comforted: And in our comfort we joyed the more exceedingly for the joy of Titus, because his spirit hath been refreshed by you all.

because of this we have been comforted in your comfort, and more abundantly the more did we rejoice in the joy of Titus, that his spirit hath been refreshed from you all;

14 F or if in anything I have gloried to him on your behalf, I was not put to shame; but as we spake all things to you in truth, so our glorying also which I made before Titus was found to be truth.

because if anything to him in your behalf I have boasted, I was not put to shame; but as all things in truth we did speak to you, so also our boasting before Titus became truth,

15 A nd his affection is more abundantly toward you, while he remembereth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him.

and his tender affection is more abundantly toward you, remembering the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye did receive him;

16 I rejoice that in everything I am of good courage concerning you.

I rejoice, therefore, that in everything I have courage in you.