< 2 Corinthians 7 >

1 With these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that pollutes either body or spirit, and, in deepest respect for God, aim at perfect holiness.
亲爱的朋友们,由于我们做出了这样的承诺,就应该洁净自己,除去身体和心灵上的一切污秽,通过敬畏上帝达成圣洁。
2 Make room for us in your hearts. In no instance have we ever wronged, or harmed, or taken advantage of, anyone.
请接纳我们作为你们的朋友!我们未做过任何措施,没有让任何人堕落,也没有利用过谁。
3 I am not saying this to condemn you. Indeed, I have already said that you are in our heart, to live and die together.
我这样说不是为了定你们的罪,正如我之前所说,你们对我们如此重要,我们与你们可以同生共死。
4 I have the utmost confidence in you; I am always boasting about you. I am full of encouragement and, in spite of all our troubles, my heart is overflowing with happiness.
我愿为你们振臂高呼,因为你们让我感到如此光荣。你们就是对我最大的激励,尽管我们经历各种患难,你们让我格外欢喜。
5 Ever since we reached Macedonia, we have had no rest in body or mind; on every side there have been troubles – conflicts without, anxieties within.
我们抵达马其顿的时候,没有感到片刻的安宁。相反,我们受到了来自各方的攻击,外有争战,内有恐惧。
6 But God, who encourages the downcast, has encouraged us by the arrival of Titus.
尽管如此,上帝总能给沮丧之人带来鼓励。提多的到来就是我们最大的安慰。
7 And it is not only by his arrival that we are encouraged, but also by the encouragement which he received from you; for he tells us of your strong affection, your penitence, and your zeal on my behalf – so that I am happier still.
我们的安慰不仅因为他的到来,还因为你们给予他的鼓励。他告诉我们,你们渴望见到我,还因为我而感到难过和忧愁,这让我更加欢喜。
8 For, though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Even if I were inclined to regret it – for I see that my letter did cause you sorrow though only for a time –
尽管我写的那封信让你们忧伤,但我并不后悔——其实我曾经感到后悔,因为那封信伤害了你们,但只是很短的一段时间。
9 I am glad now; not because of the sorrow it caused you, but because your sorrow brought you to repentance. For it was God’s will that you should feel sorrow, in order that you should not suffer loss in any way at our hands.
现在我很快乐,不是因为伤害你们,而是因为这种痛苦让你们改变了心意。你们按照上帝的旨意感到难过,所以不会因为我们而受到任何伤害。
10 For, when sorrow is in accordance with God’s will, it results in a repentance leading to salvation, and which will never be regretted. The sure result of the sorrow that the world knows is death.
上帝希望我们感受到的忧伤,让我们可以改变心意,获得救赎。这种忧伤不会留下遗憾,但世俗的忧伤却会招致死亡。
11 For see what results that other sorrow – sorrow in accordance with God’s will – has had in your case. What earnestness it produced! What explanations! What strong feeling! What alarm! What longing! What eagerness! What readiness to punish! You have proved yourselves altogether free from guilt in that matter.
当你们依照上帝的旨意感受到了这种忧伤,看看你们都发生了什么。还记得你们变得多么热情,渴望为自己辩护,对已经发生的事情感到愤怒,认真对待这一切,渴望做正确的事情,关注自己是谁,渴望实现正义。你们通过所有这些改变,表明你们多么诚心地渴望恢复良善正直。
12 So, then, even though I did write to you, it was not for the sake of the wrongdoer, or of the man who was wronged, but to make you conscious, in the sight of God, of your own earnest care for us. And it is this that has encouraged us.
因此,以往我写信给你们,并未讨论谁做错事或被错误对待,而是表达了你们如何在上帝的面前为我们做出奉献。
13 In addition to the encouragement that this gave us, we were made far happier still by the happiness of Titus for his heart has been cheered by you all.
这让我们备受鼓舞。我们除了感受到鼓舞之外,还很高兴看到提多的欢喜,因为你们让他心安。
14 Although I have been boasting a little to him about you, you did not put me to shame; but, just as every thing we had said to you was true, so our boasting to Titus about you has also proved to be the truth.
我向他夸赞你们,你们没有让我失望。我对你们所说的都是真话,同样,我向提多夸赞你们也是出自真心。
15 And his affection for you is all the greater, as he remembers the deference that you all showed him, and recalls how you received him with anxious care.
提多还记起你们如何按照他所说的行事,如何以尊重的方式迎接他。这让他更加关爱你们。
16 I am glad that I can feel perfect confidence in you.
很高兴我可以对你们怀有充分的信心。

< 2 Corinthians 7 >