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we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from every impurity of the body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
2 Open your hearts to us. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have cheated no one. 3 I do not say this to condemn you, for I have said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. 4 I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you; I am greatly encouraged; in all our afflictions I filled with joy.
5 For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn—conflicts outwardly, and fears within. 6 But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, 7 and not only by his coming, but also by the consolation with which he was comforted by you. He told us about your earnest desire, your sorrow, and your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more.
8 Even if I grieved you with my letter, I do not regret it, though I did regret when I saw that my letter grieved you, though only briefly. 9 Now I am rejoicing, not because you were grieved, but because your grief led to repentance. For you were made to feel grief as God intended, so that you did not experience loss in any way from us. 10 For godly grief produces repentance that leads to salvation and bring no regret, but worldly grief produces death. 11 For consider the earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what concern, what zeal, what desire to see justice done! In every way you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. 12 So even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did the wrong, but in order that you might be made to see in the sight of God how devoted you are to us. 13 By all this we have been comforted.
In addition to our own comfort, we have been made to rejoice even more over the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you. 14 For if I have been boastful about you to him, you have not caused me any embarrassment. But just as we spoke everything to you in truth, so our boasting to Titus about you has also turned out to be true as well. 15 And his affection for you is even greater as he remembers the obedience of you all, and how are you received him with fear and trembling. 16 I rejoice that I can have complete confidence in you.