1 Therefore, such being the promises that we have, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that defiles body and spirit, making holiness complete in the fear of God.

2 Open your hearts to us. We have not done anyone wrong, we have not caused anyone harm, we have not anyone swindled. 3 It isn’t to pour criticism on you that I say this, for as I’ve told you before, you have so deep a place in our hearts that we are bound to you come life or death. 4 I have in you the utmost confidence; there are many, many reasons for me to sing your praises. I’m very strengthened and encouraged; I am more than joyful despite all the trials we’ve gone through. 5 Even after we arrived in Macedonia, you see, these mortal bodies of ours received not a moment’s relief; indeed, we encountered trials and suffering at every turn. On the outside were conflicts, on the inside, fears. 6 Yet God, who gives strength and encouragement to the afflicted, has strengthened and encouraged us by the arrival of Titus, 7 and not only by his arrival, but also by the news he brought about the strength and encouragement he received because of you. He told us about how much you miss me, about how sorry you are, about how earnest your concern is for me, so that I am now more full of joy than ever. 8 For even if I caused you grief and sorrow by my letter, I don’t regret writing it. Although I was beginning to have regrets (I see that my letter caused you grief, albeit only for a moment), 9 now I rejoice, not because you were made to grieve, but because your grief resulted in repentance. Indeed, you were caused grief and sorrow according to the will of God, so that you wouldn’t suffer loss at our hand in any way. 10 Grief according to the will of God, you see, results in this: A repentance that leads to salvation, leaving no regrets. Grief of a worldly kind, however, results only in this: Death. 11 Consider, for example, how this very thing, grief according to the will of God, has produced in you so much goodwill and concern: What eagerness to prove yourselves innocent in the matter, what horror and anger at what was done, what alarm, what longing to see me, what earnestness, what readiness to execute the proper punishment. In every respect you have shown yourselves to be innocent in the matter. 12 Consequently, when I wrote to you, it turns out that it wasn’t for the sake of the offender or the injured party, but for the sake of you being able to see for yourselves how much goodwill and concern you really do have for us, a fact to which God can testify. 13 That is the reason we have been strengthened and encouraged.

Now, joyful as we were about the strength and encouragement we ourselves received, we rejoiced even more over how joyful Titus was, his worries having been dispelled by all of you.14 For in whatever I have said to him about you in praise I haven’t been let down. On the contrary, just as everything we have said to you is true, so the things about which we have praised you in Titus’ presence have themselves also proven true. 15 And so his heart now goes out to you even more, as he remembers how ready all of you were to obey his instructions, how it was with fear and trembling that you welcomed him. 16 I am full of joy that in every respect I have assurance about you.