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2 Corinthians 7
New International Version
2 Corinthians 7
New International Version
7 Therefore, since we have these promises,(A) dear friends,(B) let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness(C) out of reverence for God.
Paul’s Joy Over the Church’s Repentance
2 Make room for us in your hearts.(D) We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one. 3 I do not say this to condemn you; I have said before that you have such a place in our hearts(E) that we would live or die with you. 4 I have spoken to you with great frankness; I take great pride in you.(F) I am greatly encouraged;(G) in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.(H)
5 For when we came into Macedonia,(I) we had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn(J)—conflicts on the outside, fears within.(K) 6 But God, who comforts the downcast,(L) comforted us by the coming of Titus,(M) 7 and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever.
8 Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter,(N) I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— 9 yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. 10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation(O) and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. 11 See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern,(P) what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. 12 So even though I wrote to you,(Q) it was neither on account of the one who did the wrong(R) nor on account of the injured party, but rather that before God you could see for yourselves how devoted to us you are. 13 By all this we are encouraged.
In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus(S) was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you. 14 I had boasted to him about you,(T) and you have not embarrassed me. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting about you to Titus(U) has proved to be true as well. 15 And his affection for you is all the greater when he remembers that you were all obedient,(V) receiving him with fear and trembling.(W) 16 I am glad I can have complete confidence in you.(X)
2 Corinthians 7
The Message
2 Corinthians 7
The Message
7 With promises like this to pull us on, dear friends, let’s make a clean break with everything that defiles or distracts us, both within and without. Let’s make our entire lives fit and holy temples for the worship of God.
More Passionate, More Responsible
2-4 Trust us. We’ve never hurt a soul, never exploited or taken advantage of anyone. Don’t think I’m finding fault with you. I told you earlier that I’m with you all the way, no matter what. I have, in fact, the greatest confidence in you. If only you knew how proud I am of you! I am overwhelmed with joy despite all our troubles.
5-7 When we arrived in Macedonia province, we couldn’t settle down. The fights in the church and the fears in our hearts kept us on pins and needles. We couldn’t relax because we didn’t know how it would turn out. Then the God who lifts up the downcast lifted our heads and our hearts with the arrival of Titus. We were glad just to see him, but the true reassurance came in what he told us about you: how much you cared, how much you grieved, how concerned you were for me. I went from worry to tranquility in no time!
8-9 I know I distressed you greatly with my letter. Although I felt awful at the time, I don’t feel at all bad now that I see how it turned out. The letter upset you, but only for a while. Now I’m glad—not that you were upset, but that you were jarred into turning things around. You let the distress bring you to God, not drive you from him. The result was all gain, no loss.
10 Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain. But those who let distress drive them away from God are full of regrets, end up on a deathbed of regrets.
11-13 And now, isn’t it wonderful all the ways in which this distress has goaded you closer to God? You’re more alive, more concerned, more sensitive, more reverent, more human, more passionate, more responsible. Looked at from any angle, you’ve come out of this with purity of heart. And that is what I was hoping for in the first place when I wrote the letter. My primary concern was not for the one who did the wrong or even the one wronged, but for you—that you would realize and act upon the deep, deep ties between us before God. That’s what happened—and we felt just great.
13-16 And then, when we saw how Titus felt—his exuberance over your response—our joy doubled. It was wonderful to see how revived and refreshed he was by everything you did. If I went out on a limb in telling Titus how great I thought you were, you didn’t cut off that limb. As it turned out, I hadn’t exaggerated one bit. Titus saw for himself that everything I had said about you was true. He can’t quit talking about it, going over again and again the story of your prompt obedience, and the dignity and sensitivity of your hospitality. He was quite overwhelmed by it all! And I couldn’t be more pleased—I’m so confident and proud of you.
2 Corinthians 7
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
2 Corinthians 7
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
7 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of the flesh and of the spirit, perfecting sanctification in the fear of God.
2 Receive us. We have injured no man, we have corrupted no man, we have overreached no man.
3 I speak not this to your condemnation. For we have said before, that you are in our hearts, to die together, and to live together.
4 Great is my confidence for you, great is my glorying for you. I am filled with comfort: I exceedingly abound with joy in all our tribulation.
5 For also when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we suffered all tribulation; combats without, fears within.
6 But God, who comforteth the humble, comforted us by the coming of Titus.
7 And not by his coming only, but also by the consolation, wherewith he was comforted in you, relating to us your desire, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced the more.
8 For although I made you sorrowful by my epistle, I do not repent; and if I did repent, seeing that the same epistle (although but for a time) did make you sorrowful;
9 Now I am glad: not because you were made sorrowful; but because you were made sorrowful unto penance. For you were made sorrowful according to God, that you might suffer damage by us in nothing.
10 For the sorrow that is according to God worketh penance, steadfast unto salvation; but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
11 For behold this selfsame thing, that you were made sorrowful according to God, how great carefulness it worketh in you; yea defence, yea indignation, yea fear, yea desire, yea zeal, yea revenge: in all things you have shewed yourselves to be undefiled in the matter.
12 Wherefore although I wrote to you, it was not for his sake that I did the wrong, nor for him that suffered it; but to manifest our carefulness that we have for you
13 Before God: therefore we were comforted. But in our consolation, we did the more abundantly rejoice for the joy of Titus, because his spirit was refreshed by you all.
14 And if I have boasted any thing to him of you, I have not been put to shame; but as we have spoken all things to you in truth, so also our boasting that was made to Titus is found a truth.
15 And his bowels are more abundantly towards you; remembering the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling you have received him.
16 I rejoice that in all things I have confidence in you.
2 Corinthians 7
Expanded Bible
2 Corinthians 7
Expanded Bible
7 [L Therefore] ·Dear friends [Beloved], we have these promises from God, so we should make ourselves pure—free from ·anything that makes body or soul unclean [L every defilement of flesh and spirit]. ·We should try to become holy in the way we live [or …and in this way bring our holiness to completion/perfection], ·because we respect [out of reverence for; in the fear of] God.
Paul’s Joy
2 ·Open your hearts to [L Make room for] us. We have not done wrong to anyone, we have not ·ruined the faith of [L ruined; corrupted] anyone, and we have not ·cheated [exploited] anyone. 3 I do not say this to ·blame [condemn] you. [L For] I told you before that ·we love you so much [L you are in our hearts so that] we would live or die with you. 4 I ·feel very sure of you [am very confident in you; or have spoken very boldy/frankly to you] and am very proud of you. You give me much ·comfort [encouragement], and in all of our ·troubles [trials; tribulation] I ·have great [overflow with] joy.
5 [L For] When we came into Macedonia [1:16], ·we [our body/flesh] had no rest [C Here Paul picks up his account where he left off at 2:13]. We found ·trouble [trial; tribulation] all around us. We had ·fighting [battles; conflicts] on the outside and fear on the inside. 6 But God, who ·comforts [encourages] those who are ·troubled [downcast; discouraged], ·comforted [encouraged] us when Titus [2:13] came. 7 We were ·comforted [encouraged], not only by his ·coming [arrival; presence] but also by the comfort you gave him. Titus told us about your ·wish to see me [L longing] and ·that you are very sorry for what you did [L your sorrow/mourning; C regret for their treatment of Paul during his previous visit; 1:23; 2:1]. He also told me about your great ·care [or loyalty; L zeal] for me, and when I heard this, I ·was much happier [rejoiced even more].
8 [L For] Even if my letter [C Paul’s “severe” letter that he wrote after his painful visit; see 2:3–4, 9] made you ·sad [grieve], I am not sorry I wrote it. At first I was sorry, because it made you ·sad [grieve], but you ·were sad [grieved] only for a short time. 9 Now I ·am happy [rejoice], not because you were ·made sad [grieved], but because your sorrow ·made you change your lives [led to repentance]. You ·became sad [grieved] in the way God wanted you to, so you were not ·hurt by [or punished because of] us in any way [C the Corinthians’ repentance prevented further sorrow as well as discipline from God]. 10 [L For] The kind of sorrow God wants makes people ·change their hearts and lives [repent], leading to salvation, and ·you cannot be sorry for that [or there can be no regret for that kind of sorrow; L without regret]. But the kind of sorrow the world has ·brings [leads to; results in] death. 11 [L For] See what this sorrow—the sorrow God wanted you to have—has ·done to [led to/produced in] you: It has made you very ·serious [eager; earnest; zealous]. It made you want to ·restore [vindicate; defend] yourselves. It made you ·angry [indignant] and afraid. It made you ·want to see me [long for reconciliation]. It made you ·care [zealous]. It made you want to ·do the right thing [see justice done]. In every way you have ·regained your innocence [or proved yourselves innocent]. 12 I wrote that letter, not because of the one who did the wrong or because of the person who was ·hurt [wronged]. I wrote the letter so you could see, before God, the great ·care [eagerness; zeal] you have for us. 13 That is why we were ·comforted [encouraged].
Not only were we very ·comforted [encouraged], we ·were even happier [rejoiced even more] to see that Titus [2:13] was so ·happy [joyful], because all of you ·made him feel much better [L refreshed his spirit]. 14 [L For] I ·bragged [boasted] to Titus about you, and ·you showed that I was right [L I was not put to shame]. Everything we said to you was true, and you have proved that what we ·bragged [boasted] about to Titus is true. 15 And his ·love [affection; feeling] for you is ·stronger [greater still] when he remembers that you were all ready to obey. You ·welcomed [received] him with ·respect and fear [L fear and trembling]. 16 I ·am very happy [rejoice] that I can ·trust you fully [have complete confidence in you].
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA)
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Expanded Bible (EXB)
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.