1 Therefore, having these promises, AHeb 6:9beloved, B1 Pet 1:15flet us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

2 A2 Cor 6:12f; 12:15Make room for us in your hearts; we wronged no one, we corrupted no one, we took advantage of no one. 3 I do not speak to condemn you, for I have said A2 Cor 6:11fbefore that you are BPhil 1:7in our hearts to die together and to live together. 4 Great is my A2 Cor 3:12confidence 1Lit towardin you; great is my B2 Cor 7:14; 8:24; 9:2f; 10:8; Phil 1:26; 2 Thess 1:4boasting on your behalf. I am filled with C2 Cor 1:4comfort; I am overflowing with D2 Cor 6:10joy in all our affliction.

5 For even when we came into ARom 15:26; 2 Cor 2:13Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were B2 Cor 4:8afflicted on every side: CDeut 32:25conflicts without, fears within. 6 But A2 Cor 1:3fGod, who comforts the 1Or humbledepressed, B2 Cor 7:13comforted us by the coming of C2 Cor 2:13; 7:13fTitus; 7 and not only by his coming, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced even more. 8 For though I A2 Cor 2:2caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it—for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while— 9 I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything 1Lit fromthrough us. 10 For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a AActs 11:18repentance 1Or leading to a salvation without regretwithout regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. 11 For behold what earnestness this very thing, this 1Lit sorrow according to Godgodly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what A2 Cor 7:7longing, what zeal, what B2 Cor 2:6avenging of wrong! In everything you CRom 3:5demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter. 12 So although A2 Cor 2:3, 9; 7:8I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of B1 Cor 5:1fthe offender nor for the sake of the one offended, but that your earnestness on our behalf might be made known to you in the sight of God. 13 For this reason we have been A2 Cor 7:6comforted.

And besides our comfort, we rejoiced even much more for the joy of B2 Cor 2:13; 7:6, 14Titus, because his C1 Cor 16:18spirit has been refreshed by you all. 14 For if in anything I have A2 Cor 7:4; 8:24; 9:2f; 10:8; Phil 1:26; 2 Thess 1:4boasted to him about you, I was not put to shame; but as we spoke all things to you in truth, so also our boasting before B2 Cor 2:13; 7:6, 13Titus proved to be the truth. 15 His 1Lit inward partsaffection abounds all the more toward you, as he remembers the A2 Cor 2:9obedience of you all, how you received him with B1 Cor 2:3; Phil 2:12fear and trembling. 16 I rejoice that in everything A2 Cor 2:3I have confidence in you.