2 Corinthians 7

1 My friends, whom I love, because [God] has promised [to accept us(inc) as his children], we [(inc)] must stop doing anything that is sinful. We must not do sinful things with our bodies, and we must not [think] sinful thoughts. [Because] we greatly revere God, we must strive to [live] a completely pure life. By doing that we will become the kind of people that he wants us to be.

Because then we have these promises, my beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all impurity of the flesh and of the spirit, and accomplish sanctification in the fear of Aloha.

2 So, as I just wrote, I want you to love me (OR, us [IDM] [who are true apostles of Christ]). I/we [(exc)] have never done anything wrong to any of you. I/we have not done anything to harm any one of you spiritually or financially. And I/we have not tried to get money from [you] (for myself/for ourselves).

Bear with us, my brethren; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have injured no man.

3 [It is true that some people among you have said that I have done such things. Nevertheless], I am not trying to make you all feel ashamed because, as I wrote before, I will continue to love you all very much [IDM], whether I live with you or die with you. I am very confident about you.

I speak not to your condemnation; for I have said already, that you are laid up in our hearts to die together and to live.

4 I am very pleased with you. You have greatly encouraged me, so that I am now very joyful in spite of all the hardships that I have endured.

GREAT is the freedom I have with you, and great in you is my glorying; I am full of consolation, and my joy greatly aboundeth in me in all my afflictions.

5 Now [I will write more about what I was saying about Titus]. When I [left Troas and] came [here to] Macedonia [province], I still did not get any rest. Everywhere we [(exc)] went, [people were constantly] causing us trouble. [And not only were] people [constantly causing us] trouble, but I was greatly concerned [about you all].

When, also, we had come into Makedunia, no repose had we for our body, but in every thing were we afflicted; without fighting, and within, fear.

6 But God, who always encourages his people when they are discouraged, encouraged us by [sending] Titus back to us.

But Aloha, who consoleth the humble, consoled us by the coming of Titos;

7 I was encouraged by [seeing] Titus, [but when I heard how] you had encouraged him, that encouraged me even more. He told me how much you wanted [to see me. He told me] that you were very sorry [that you had made me so unhappy. He also told me] that you are very eager for me [to continue to serve as your apostle. When Titus told me those things], I was very, very happy.

and not only by his coming, but also by his refreshment wherewith he had been refreshed among you. For he told us of your love toward us, and of your lamentation and your zeal on our behalf. And when I heard, my joy was great.

8 Even though what [I wrote] in my letter (distressed you/made you sad), I am not sorry [that I wrote it]. For a while I was sorry that I had written it, [because I knew that it would distress you]. Now [Titus has also told] me that it did distress you [when you read it], but you were distressed only for a short time.

For though I grieved you in an epistle, I repent me not, though I did repent. For I perceive how that epistle, though for an hour, did make you sorry;

9 [So now] I am happy [that I wrote it]. I am not happy that you were distressed {that [I] distressed you}, but [I am happy] because, when you became distressed, you felt sorry for what you had done and [you asked God to forgive you. What I mean is that you felt sorry in the way that God wanted you to feel sorry, so my making] you feel sorry did not harm you at all.

but now I exercise joy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow hath brought you to repentance. For you were sorry towards Aloha; so that in nothing will you suffer loss from us.

10 [The fact is that] when God causes [us to feel] truly sorry for having sinned and we turn from our sinful behavior, then God saves us [and will not punish us for the sinful things that we have done]. And no one is ever sorry about that. [However], the people who do not trust [in God] [MTY] may be sorry [for the sinful things that they have done]. But [if they do not turn from their sinful behavior and ask God to forgive them], they will remain separated from him forever.

For the sorrow that is for the sake of Aloha worketh soul-penitence, which turneth not and converteth, unto salvation; but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

11 But [think about what happened when you read my letter]: God caused you to be truly sorry [for what you had done]. You eagerly [wanted to do what was right], and you wanted to show [God] (OR, [me]) that you had done the right thing. You were angry [about what had happened], and you were worried [that God would punish you if the situation continued]. You also wanted me [to visit you to encourage and help you]. You wanted me to know [that you really do accept me as your apostle, and that you punished the man who had sinned, as I told you to do. By doing] all of those things, you have shown [me] that you have done what is right in this matter.

For, behold, (in) this very (case) that you were made contrite for the sake of Aloha; what carefulness it wrought in you, and vindication, and displeasure, and fear, and love, and zeal, and punishment! And by every thing have you shown yourselves to be pure in this matter.

12 So, even though I wrote that [severe] letter to you, I did not [write it just] so that [you would punish] the man who had done what was wrong. Also, I [did not write it] for the benefit of the person whom [he] had wronged. Instead, [I wrote it] so that, when you [read the letter], God would enable you to realize how much you really do respect [my authority].

But, it was for this we wrote to you; not on account of the injurer, nor on account of the injured one, but that you may know before Aloha our carefulness over you.

13 So, [because you listened to me and did what I asked you to do], (I was/we [(exc)] were all) encouraged. Not only (was I/were we) encouraged, but (I was/we [(exc)] were) [also] very happy to see how happy Titus was [when he arrived here. He told me/us that] he did not need to worry any more, because [he saw] that you all [had a good attitude toward me].

For this cause we were consoled, and with our consolation more abundantly did we rejoice in the joy of Titos; because his spirit had been refreshed with you all.

14 I had told Titus that I was pleased about you. And I did not need to be ashamed [for feeling that way about you, because you did what I knew that you would do]. Just like everything that I have taught you [and written to you] has been the truth, the good things that I told Titus about you were also true.

Because in whatever I had boasted to him concerning you, I have not been ashamed; but, as of every thing we had spoken truth with you, so also our boasting unto Titos hath been found in truth.

15 Now he happily remembers how you all [were willing to] do [what I asked you to do]. He is [also happy about the way you] treated him with great respect. [When he thinks about those things], [it makes] him love you even more [than he did when he was with you].

And his affection is greatly enlarged toward you, when he remembers your obedience; because with fear and with trembling you received him.

16 [As for me], I am very happy [because now] I am certain that I can depend on you [to do what you know God wants you to do].

I rejoice that in every thing I can confide in you.