2 Corinthians 7:1–16

¹Therefore, since we have these promises, beloved ones, let us cleanse ourselves of every defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in God’s fear.

²ALLOW​ room for us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one.³I do not say this to condemn ​YOU. For I have said before that ​YOU​ are in our hearts to die and to live with us.⁴I have great freeness of speech toward ​YOU. I have great boasting in regard to ​YOU. I am filled with comfort, I am overflowing with joy in all our affliction.

⁵In fact, when we arrived in Mac‧e‧do′ni‧a, our flesh got no relief, but we continued to be afflicted in every manner—there were fights without, fears within.⁶Nevertheless God, who comforts those laid low, comforted us by the presence of Titus;⁷yet not alone by his presence, but also by the comfort with which he had been comforted over ​YOU, as he brought us word again of ​YOUR​ longing, ​YOUR​ mourning, ​YOUR​ zeal for me; so that I rejoiced yet more.

⁸Hence even if I saddened ​YOU​ by my letter, I do not regret it. Even if I did at first regret it, (I see that that letter saddened ​YOU, though but for a little while,)⁹now I rejoice, not because ​YOU​ were just saddened, but because ​YOU​ were saddened into repenting; for ​YOU​ were saddened in a godly way, that ​YOU​ might suffer no damage in anything due to us.¹⁰For sadness in a godly way makes for repentance to salvation that is not to be regretted; but the sadness of the world produces death.¹¹For, look! this very thing, ​YOUR​ being saddened in a godly way, what a great earnestness it produced in ​YOU, yes, clearing of yourselves, yes, indignation, yes, fear, yes, longing, yes, zeal, yes, righting of the wrong! In every respect ​YOU​ demonstrated yourselves to be chaste in this matter.¹²Certainly, although I wrote ​YOU, I did it, neither for the one who did the wrong, nor for the one who was wronged, but that ​YOUR​ earnestness for us might be made manifest among ​YOU​ in the sight of God.¹³That is why we have been comforted.

However, in addition to our comfort we rejoiced still more abundantly due to the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of ​YOU.¹⁴For if I have made any boast to him about ​YOU, I have not been put to shame; but as we have spoken all things to ​YOU​ in truth, so also our boasting before Titus has proved to be true.¹⁵Also, his tender affections are more abundant toward ​YOU, while he calls to mind the obedience of all of ​YOU, how ​YOU​ received him with fear and trembling.¹⁶I rejoice that in every way I may have good courage by reason of ​YOU.