1 H aving, then, these promises, beloved, may we cleanse ourselves from every pollution of flesh and spirit, perfecting sanctification 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 r eceive us; no one did we wrong; no one did we waste; no one did we defraud;

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

3 n ot to condemn you do I say, for I have said before that in our hearts ye are to die with and to live with;

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

4 g reat 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,

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.

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

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.

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

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

7 a nd 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,

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.

8 b ecause 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.

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

9 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;

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

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

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

11 f or, 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.

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

12 I f, 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 --

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.

13 b ecause 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;

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.

14 b ecause 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,

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.

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

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

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

I rejoice that in everything I am confident concerning you.