2 Corinthians 7
Paul urges the Corinthians to cleanse themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit and expresses his joy over Titus's report of their repentance. He distinguishes godly sorrow, which produces repentance leading to salvation, from the sorrow of the world, which produces death.
| v | King James Version | Modern English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. | Therefore, dearly beloved, since we have these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. |
| 2 | Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man. | Open your hearts to us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have defrauded no one. |
| 3 | I speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die together and live together. | I do not say this to condemn you, for I have said before that you are in our hearts, to die with us and to live with us. |
| 4 | Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation. | Great is my boldness of speech toward you; great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort; I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation. |
| 5 | For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears. | For when we came into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest. We were troubled on every side: outside were conflicts, inside were fears. |
| 6 | Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus; | But God, Who comforts those who are downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, |
| 7 | And not by his coming only, but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you, when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me; so that I rejoiced the more. | and not by his coming only, but also by the consolation with which he was comforted in you when he told us of your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent zeal toward me — so that I rejoiced even more. |
| 8 | For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season. | For though I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it now — though I once did regret it. I see that the same letter made you sorry, though only for a season. |
| 9 | Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. | Now I rejoice — not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. You were made sorry in a godly way, so that you suffered no loss through us. |
| 10 | For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. | For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. |
| 11 | For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter. | See what this very thing — your godly sorrow — produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what readiness to set things right! In every way you have shown yourselves to be clear in this matter. |
| 12 | Wherefore, though I wrote unto you, I did it not for his cause that had done the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered wrong, but that our care for you in the sight of God might appear unto you. | So then, though I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the one who did the wrong, nor for the sake of the one who suffered the wrong, but so that our earnest care for you might be made plain to you in the sight of God. |
| 13 | Therefore we were comforted in your comfort: yea, and exceedingly the more joyed we for the joy of Titus, because his spirit was refreshed by you all. | Therefore we were comforted by your comfort. And we rejoiced exceedingly the more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit was refreshed by you all. |
| 14 | For if I have boasted any thing to him of you, I am not ashamed; but as we spake all things to you in truth, even so our boasting, which I made before Titus, is found a truth. | For if I have boasted anything to him about you, I am not ashamed; but just as we spoke all things to you in truth, so also our boasting to Titus has proved true. |
| 15 | And his inward affection is more abundant toward you, whilst he remembereth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him. | And his affection for you is even greater as he remembers the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling. |
| 16 | I rejoice therefore that I have confidence in you in all things. | I rejoice that I have complete confidence in you. |