2 Corinthians 7 (ESV) (2024)

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Paul's Joy

²^(B)Make room in your hearts^[b] for us. ^(C)We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one. ³I do not say this to condemn you, for I said before that ^(D)you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. ⁴I am acting with ^(E)great boldness toward you; ^(F)I have great pride in you; ^(G)I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy.

⁵For even ^(H)when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn—^(I)fighting without and fear within. ⁶But ^(J)God, who comforts the downcast, ^(K)comforted us by the coming of Titus, ⁷and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted by you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more. ⁸For ^(L)even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it—though ^(M)I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. ⁹As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but ^(N)because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us.

¹⁰For ^(O)godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas ^(P)worldly grief produces death. ¹¹For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, ^(Q)what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter. ¹²So although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the one ^(R)who did the wrong, nor for the sake of the one who suffered the wrong, but in order that your earnestness for us might be revealed to you in the sight of God. ¹³Therefore ^(S)we are comforted.

And besides our own comfort, we rejoiced still more at the joy of Titus, because his spirit ^(T)has been refreshed by you all. ¹⁴For ^(U)whatever boasts I made to him about you, I was not put to shame. But just as everything we said to you ^(V)was true, so also our boasting before Titus has proved true. ¹⁵And his affection for you is even greater, as he remembers ^(W)the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling. ¹⁶I rejoice, because I have complete ^(X)confidence in you.

Footnotes

2 Corinthians 7:1 Greek flesh
2 Corinthians 7:2 Greek lacks in your hearts

Cross references

2 Corinthians 7:1 : 1 Pet. 2:11; 1 John 3:3
2 Corinthians 7:2 : ch. 6:12, 13
2 Corinthians 7:2 : Acts 20:33; [ch. 11:20]
2 Corinthians 7:3 : [ch. 6:11-13]
2 Corinthians 7:4 : ch. 3:12
2 Corinthians 7:4 : ch. 1:12; 8:24; 9:2
2 Corinthians 7:4 : ch. 1:4; Phil. 2:17; Col. 1:24; [ch. 6:10]
2 Corinthians 7:5 : ch. 2:13
2 Corinthians 7:5 : [Deut. 32:25; Lam. 1:20]
2 Corinthians 7:6 : ch. 1:4
2 Corinthians 7:6 : ver. 13; [1 Thess. 3:6, 7]
2 Corinthians 7:8 : [ch. 2:2]
2 Corinthians 7:8 : ch. 2:4
2 Corinthians 7:9 : Ps. 38:18; [1 Cor. 5:2]
2 Corinthians 7:10 : [2 Sam. 12:13; Acts 11:18]
2 Corinthians 7:10 : [Prov. 17:22]
2 Corinthians 7:11 : [ch. 2:6]
2 Corinthians 7:12 : [1 Cor. 5:1, 2]
2 Corinthians 7:13 : ver. 6
2 Corinthians 7:13 : See Rom. 15:32
2 Corinthians 7:14 : ch. 8:24; 9:2; 10:8; [2 Thess. 1:4]
2 Corinthians 7:14 : ch. 4:2; 6:7
2 Corinthians 7:15 : ch. 2:9; 10:6
2 Corinthians 7:16 : See ch. 2:3

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7Therefore, since we have these promises,^(A) dear friends,^(B) let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness^(C) out of reverence for God.

Paul’s Joy Over the Church’s Repentance

²Make room for us in your hearts.^(D) We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one. ³I do not say this to condemn you; I have said before that you have such a place in our hearts^(E) that we would live or die with you. ⁴I have spoken to you with great frankness; I take great pride in you.^(F) I am greatly encouraged;^(G) in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.^(H)

⁵For when we came into Macedonia,^(I) we had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn^(J)—conflicts on the outside, fears within.^(K) ⁶But God, who comforts the downcast,^(L) comforted us by the coming of Titus,^(M) ⁷and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever.

⁸Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter,^(N) I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— ⁹yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. ¹⁰Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation^(O) and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. ¹¹See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern,^(P) what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. ¹²So even though I wrote to you,^(Q) it was neither on account of the one who did the wrong^(R) nor on account of the injured party, but rather that before God you could see for yourselves how devoted to us you are. ¹³By all this we are encouraged.

In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus^(S) was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you. ¹⁴I had boasted to him about you,^(T) and you have not embarrassed me. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting about you to Titus^(U) has proved to be true as well. ¹⁵And his affection for you is all the greater when he remembers that you were all obedient,^(V) receiving him with fear and trembling.^(W) ¹⁶I am glad I can have complete confidence in you.^(X)

Cross references

2 Corinthians 7:1 : 2Co 6:17, 18
2 Corinthians 7:1 : S 1Co 10:14
2 Corinthians 7:1 : 1Th 4:7; 1Pe 1:15, 16
2 Corinthians 7:2 : 2Co 6:12, 13
2 Corinthians 7:3 : 2Co 6:11, 12; Php 1:7
2 Corinthians 7:4 : ver 14; 2Co 8:24
2 Corinthians 7:4 : ver 13
2 Corinthians 7:4 : S 2Co 6:10
2 Corinthians 7:5 : 2Co 2:13; S Ac 16:9
2 Corinthians 7:5 : 2Co 4:8
2 Corinthians 7:5 : Dt 32:25
2 Corinthians 7:6 : 2Co 1:3, 4
2 Corinthians 7:6 : ver 13; S 2Co 2:13
2 Corinthians 7:8 : 2Co 2:2, 4
2 Corinthians 7:10 : Ac 11:18
2 Corinthians 7:11 : ver 7
2 Corinthians 7:12 : ver 8; 2Co 2:3, 9
2 Corinthians 7:12 : 1Co 5:1, 2
2 Corinthians 7:13 : ver 6; S 2Co 2:13
2 Corinthians 7:14 : ver 4
2 Corinthians 7:14 : ver 6
2 Corinthians 7:15 : 2Co 2:9; 10:6
2 Corinthians 7:15 : Ps 55:5; 1Co 2:3; Php 2:12
2 Corinthians 7:16 : S 2Co 2:3

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New International Version (NIV)

2 Corinthians 7 (ESV) (2024)

Paul's Joy

Footnotes

Cross references

Paul’s Joy Over the Church’s Repentance

Cross references

More on the NIV

References