HAVING therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from
all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of
God. (2)Give us a favourable reception: we have injured no man, we have
corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man. (3)I speak not for your
condemnation, for I have already said, that ye are in our hearts to die
and live together. (4)Great is my freedom of speech to you, great is my
glorying over you: I am filled with consolation, I overflow with joy in
all our tribulation.
(5)For when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we
were afflicted on every side; without were fightings; within were
fears. (6)But God that comforteth the lowly comforted us by the coming
of Titus: (7)and not by his coming only, but also by the consolation
wherewith he had been comforted among you, declaring to us your fervent
desire, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced the more.
(8)For if I grieved you by a letter, I do not repent, though I did
repent: for I perceive that this letter made you sorry, though but for
a season. (9)Now I rejoice, not that ye have been made sorrowful, but
that ye have sorrowed unto repentance; for ye have been made sorry in a
godly manner, that ye might receive damage from us in nothing. (10)For
sorrow of a godly sort worketh repentance unto salvation never to be
repented of, but worldly sorrow worketh death. (11)For behold this very
thing, that ye were made sorry after a godly manner, how great
diligence did it produce in you! yea, what apologizing! yea, what
indignation! yea, what fear! yea, what earnest desire! yea, what zeal!
yea, what vengeance! In every step ye have approved yourselves as pure
in this affair.
(12)And indeed though I wrote unto you, I did it not _merely_ for his
cause that had done the wrong, nor for his cause who had suffered the
injury, but that our diligent attention for you might be more
abundantly manifested to you in the presence of God. (13)Therefore we
were comforted in your consolation; and exceeding abundantly the more
rejoiced we in the joy of Titus, because his spirit was refreshed by
you all. (14)For if I have boasted of you to him in any thing, I am not
ashamed; but as we have spoken all things to you in truth, so our
boasting of you to Titus hath been found truth. (15)And his bowels more
abundantly yearn over you, when he remembers the obedience of you all,
how with fear and trembling ye received him. (16)I rejoice therefore
that in every thing I have confidence in you.