²⁸ Therefore I am all the more eager to send him,^(A) so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety.

³ We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard,^(A) so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.^{(B) 4} We write this^(C) to make our^[a] joy complete.^(D)

⁴ Recalling your tears,^(A) I long to see you,^(B) so that I may be filled with joy.

²² So with you: Now is your time of grief,^(A) but I will see you again^(B) and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.^(C)

²⁶ For he longs for all of you^(A) and is distressed because you heard he was ill. ²⁷ Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow.

³ I wrote as I did,^(A) so that when I came I would not be distressed^(B) by those who should have made me rejoice. I had confidence^(C) in all of you, that you would all share my joy.

³⁸ What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again.^(A) Then they accompanied him to the ship.^(B)

¹¹ Israel^(A) said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again,^(B) and now God has allowed me to see your children too.”^(C)

²⁹ Joseph had his chariot^(A) made ready and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel.^(B) As soon as Joseph appeared before him, he threw his arms around his father^[a] and wept^(C) for a long time.^(D)

³⁰ Israel^(E) said to Joseph, “Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive.”^(F)