Epistula II ad Corinthios, 7

1. Has igitur habentes promissio nes, carissimi, mundemus nos ab omni inquinamento carnis et spiritus, perficientes sanctificationem in timore Dei.

1. Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, and make holiness perfect in the fear of God.

2. Capite nos! Neminem laesimus, neminem corrupimus, neminem circumvenimus.

2. Open your hearts to us; we have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one.

3. Non ad condemnationem dico; praedixi enim quod in cordibus nostris estis ad commoriendum et ad convivendum.

3. I do not say this to condemn you, for I said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together.

4. Multa mihi fiducia est apud vos, multa mihi gloriatio pro vobis; repletus sum consolatione, superabundo gaudio in omni tribulatione nostra.

4. I have great confidence in you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. With all our affliction, I am overjoyed.

5. Nam et cum venissemus Macedoniam, nullam requiem habuit caro nostra, sed omnem tribulationem passi: foris pugnae, intus timores.

5. For even when we came into Macedo'nia, our bodies had no rest but we were afflicted at every turn -- fighting without and fear within.

6. Sed qui consolatur humiles, consolatus est nos Deus in adventu Titi;

6. But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus,

7. non solum autem in adventu eius sed etiam in solacio, quo consolatus est in vobis, referens nobis vestrum desiderium, vestrum fletum, vestram aemulationem pro me, ita ut magis gauderem.

7. and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more.

8. Quoniam etsi contristavi vos in epistula, non me paenitet; etsi paeniteret — video quod epistula illa, etsi ad horam, vos contristavit —

8. For even if I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it (though I did regret it), for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while.

9. nunc gaudeo, non quia contristati estis, sed quia contristati estis ad paenitentiam; contristati enim estis secundum Deum, ut in nullo detrimentum patiamini ex nobis.

9. As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting; for you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us.

10. Quae enim secundum Deum tristitia, paenitentiam in salutem stabilem operatur; saeculi autem tristitia mortem operatur.

10. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret, but worldly grief produces death.

11. Ecce enim hoc ipsum secundum Deum contristari: quantam in vobis operatum est sollicitudinem, sed defensionem, sed indignationem, sed timorem, sed desiderium, sed aemulationem, sed vindictam! In omnibus exhibuistis vos incontaminatos esse negotio.

11. For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves guiltless in the matter.

12. Igitur etsi scripsi vobis, non propter eum, qui fecit iniuriam, nec propter eum, qui passus est, sed ad manifestandam sollicitudinem vestram, quam pro nobis habetis, ad vos coram Deo.

12. So although I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did the wrong, nor on account of the one who suffered the wrong, but in order that your zeal for us might be revealed to you in the sight of God.

13. Ideo consolati sumus. In consolatione autem nostra abundantius magis gavisi sumus super gaudium Titi, quia refectus est spiritus eius ab omnibus vobis;

13. Therefore we are comforted. And besides our own comfort we rejoiced still more at the joy of Titus, because his mind has been set at rest by you all.

14. et si quid apud illum de vobis gloriatus sum, non sum confusus, sed sicut omnia vobis in veritate locuti sumus, ita et gloriatio nostra, quae fuit ad Titum, veritas facta est.

14. For if I have expressed to him some pride in you, I was not put to shame; but just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting before Titus has proved true.

15. Et viscera eius abundantius in vos sunt, reminiscentis omnium vestrum oboedientiam, quomodo cum timore et tremore excepistis eum.

15. And his heart goes out all the more to you, as he remembers the obedience of you all, and the fear and trembling with which you received him.

16. Gaudeo quod in omnibus confido in vobis.

16. I rejoice, because I have perfect confidence in you.