| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. | 1Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that could defile the body and the spirit, and thus accomplish holiness out of reverence for God. |
| 2Make room in your hearts for us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one. | 2Make room for us in your hearts; we have wronged no one, we have ruined no one, we have exploited no one. |
| 3I do not say this to condemn you, for I said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. | 3I do not say this to condemn you, for I told you before that you are in our hearts so that we die together and live together with you. |
| 4I am acting with great boldness toward you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy. | 4I have great confidence in you; I take great pride on your behalf. I am filled with encouragement; I am overflowing with joy in the midst of all our suffering. |
| 5For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn—fighting without and fear within. | 5For even when we came into Macedonia, our body had no rest at all, but we were troubled in every way--struggles from the outside, fears from within. |
| 6But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, | 6But God, who encourages the downhearted, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus. |
| 7and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted by you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more. | 7We were encouraged not only by his arrival, but also by the encouragement you gave him, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your deep concern for me, so that I rejoiced more than ever. |
| 8For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it—though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. | 8For even if I made you sad by my letter, I do not regret having written it (even though I did regret it, for I see that my letter made you sad, though only for a short time). |
| 9As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. | 9Now I rejoice, not because you were made sad, but because you were made sad to the point of repentance. For you were made sad as God intended, so that you were not harmed in any way by us. |
| 10For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. | 10For sadness as intended by God produces a repentance that leads to salvation, leaving no regret, but worldly sadness brings about death. |
| 11For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter. | 11For see what this very thing, this sadness as God intended, has produced in you: what eagerness, what defense of yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what deep concern, what punishment! In everything you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. |
| 12So although 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 in order that your earnestness for us might be revealed to you in the sight of God. | 12So then, even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did wrong, or on account of the one who was wronged, but to reveal to you your eagerness on our behalf before God. |
| 13Therefore we are comforted. And besides our own comfort, we rejoiced still more at the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. | 13Therefore we have been encouraged. And in addition to our own encouragement, we rejoiced even more at the joy of Titus, because all of you have refreshed his spirit. |
| 14For whatever boasts I made to him about you, I was not put to shame. But just as everything we said to you was true, so also our boasting before Titus has proved true. | 14For if I have boasted to him about anything concerning you, I have not been embarrassed by you, but just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting to Titus about you has proved true as well. |
| 15And his affection for you is even greater, as he remembers the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling. | 15And his affection for you is much greater when he remembers the obedience of you all, how you welcomed him with fear and trembling. |
| 16I rejoice, because I have complete confidence in you. | 16I rejoice because in everything I am fully confident in you. |
|
