1 Because God, then, will give us such rewards, dear brothers, let us make ourselves clean from all evil of flesh and spirit, and become completely holy in the fear of God.2 Let your hearts be open to us: we have done no man wrong, no man has been damaged by us, we have made no profit out of any man,3 It is not with the purpose of judging you that I say this: for I have said before that you are in our hearts for life and death together.4 My words to you are without fear, I am full of pride on account of you: I have great comfort and joy in all our troubles.5 For even when we had come into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; there were fightings outside and fears inside.6 But God who gives comfort to the poor in spirit gave us comfort by the coming of Titus;7 And not by his coming only, but by the comfort which he had in you, while he gave us word of your desire, your sorrow, your care for me; so that I was still more glad.8 For though my letter gave you pain, I have no regret for it now, though I had before; for I see that the letter gave you pain, but only for a time.9 Now I am glad, not that you had sorrow, but that your sorrow was the cause of a change of heart; for yours was a holy sorrow so that you might undergo no loss by us in anything.10 For the sorrow which God gives is the cause of salvation through a change of heart, in which there is no reason for grief: but the sorrow of the world is a cause of death.11 For you see what care was produced in you by this very sorrow of yours before God, what clearing of yourselves, what wrath against sin, what fear, what desire, what serious purpose, what punishment. In everything you have made it clear that you are free from sin in this business.12 So though I sent you a letter, it was not only because of the man who did the wrong, or because of him to whom the wrong was done, but so that your true care for us might be made clear in the eyes of God.13 So we have been comforted: and we had the greater joy in our comfort because of the joy of Titus, for his spirit had been made glad by you all.14 For I was not put to shame in anything in which I may have made clear to him my pride in you; but as we said nothing to you but what was true, so the good things which I said to Titus about you were seen by him to be true.15 And his love to you is the more increased by his memory of you all, how you gave way to his authority, and how you took him to your hearts with fear and honour.16 It gives me great joy to see you answering to my good opinion of you in every way.

1 ταυτας ουν εχοντες τας επαγγελιας αγαπητοι καθαρισωμεν εαυτους απο παντος μολυσμου σαρκος και πνευματος επιτελουντες αγιωσυνην εν φοβω θεου2 χωρησατε ημας ουδενα ηδικησαμεν ουδενα εφθειραμεν ουδενα επλεονεκτησαμεν3 ου προς κατακρισιν λεγω προειρηκα γαρ οτι εν ταις καρδιαις ημων εστε εις το συναποθανειν και συζην4 πολλη μοι παρρησια προς υμας πολλη μοι καυχησις υπερ υμων πεπληρωμαι τη παρακλησει υπερπερισσευομαι τη χαρα επι παση τη θλιψει ημων5 και γαρ ελθοντων ημων εις μακεδονιαν ουδεμιαν εσχηκεν ανεσιν η σαρξ ημων αλλ εν παντι θλιβομενοι εξωθεν μαχαι εσωθεν φοβοι6 αλλ ο παρακαλων τους ταπεινους παρεκαλεσεν ημας ο θεος εν τη παρουσια τιτου7 ου μονον δε εν τη παρουσια αυτου αλλα και εν τη παρακλησει η παρεκληθη εφ υμιν αναγγελλων ημιν την υμων επιποθησιν τον υμων οδυρμον τον υμων ζηλον υπερ εμου ωστε με μαλλον χαρηναι8 οτι ει και ελυπησα υμας εν τη επιστολη ου μεταμελομαι ει και μετεμελομην βλεπω γαρ οτι η επιστολη εκεινη ει και προς ωραν ελυπησεν υμας9 νυν χαιρω ουχ οτι ελυπηθητε αλλ οτι ελυπηθητε εις μετανοιαν ελυπηθητε γαρ κατα θεον ινα εν μηδενι ζημιωθητε εξ ημων10 η γαρ κατα θεον λυπη μετανοιαν εις σωτηριαν αμεταμελητον κατεργαζεται η δε του κοσμου λυπη θανατον κατεργαζεται11 ιδου γαρ αυτο τουτο το κατα θεον λυπηθηναι υμας ποσην κατειργασατο υμιν σπουδην αλλα απολογιαν αλλα αγανακτησιν αλλα φοβον αλλα επιποθησιν αλλα ζηλον αλλ εκδικησιν εν παντι συνεστησατε εαυτους αγνους ειναι εν τω πραγματι12 αρα ει και εγραψα υμιν ουχ εινεκεν του αδικησαντος ουδε εινεκεν του αδικηθεντος αλλ εινεκεν του φανερωθηναι την σπουδην {VAR1: υμων } {VAR2: ημων } την υπερ {VAR1: ημων } {VAR2: υμων } προς υμας ενωπιον του θεου13 δια τουτο παρακεκλημεθα επι τη παρακλησει υμων περισσοτερως δε μαλλον εχαρημεν επι τη χαρα τιτου οτι αναπεπαυται το πνευμα αυτου απο παντων υμων14 οτι ει τι αυτω υπερ υμων κεκαυχημαι ου κατησχυνθην αλλ ως παντα εν αληθεια ελαλησαμεν υμιν ουτως και η καυχησις ημων η επι τιτου αληθεια εγενηθη15 και τα σπλαγχνα αυτου περισσοτερως εις υμας εστιν αναμιμνησκομενου την παντων υμων υπακοην ως μετα φοβου και τρομου εδεξασθε αυτον16 χαιρω {VAR2: ουν } οτι εν παντι θαρρω εν υμιν