Thisis the very thingI wroteyou, sothat when I came,I would not havesorrowfrom those whoought to makeme rejoice;having confidencein you allthat my joywould be [the joy] of you all.
Whatdo you desire?Shall I cometo you with a rod,orwith loveand a spiritof gentleness?
In thisconfidenceI intendedat firstto cometo you, sothat you might twicereceivea blessing;
But I callGodas witnessto my soul,that to spareyou I did not comeagainto Corinth.
I have becomefoolish;you yourselvescompelledme. ActuallyI shouldhave been commendedby you, for in norespectwas I inferiorto the most eminentapostles,eventhoughI ama nobody.
I am afraid that when I comeagainmy Godmay humiliateme beforeyou, and I may mournover manyof thosewho have sinned in the pastand not repentedof the impurity,immoralityand sensualitywhichthey have practiced.
For thisreasonI am writingthese thingswhile absent,sothat when presentI [need] not useseverity,in accordancewith the authoritywhichthe Lordgaveme for buildingup and not for tearing down.
For to thisend alsoI wrote,sothat I might putyou to the test,whetheryou are obedientin all things.
SoalthoughI wroteto you, [it was] not for the sakeof the offendernorfor the sakeof the one offended,but that your earnestnesson our behalfmight be made knownto you in the sightof God.
I rejoicethat in everythingI have confidencein you.
But God,who comfortsthe depressed,comfortedus by the comingof Titus;
For thoughI causedyou sorrowby my letter,I do not regretit; thoughI did regretit-- [for] I seethat that lettercaused you sorrow,thoughonlyfor a while--
We have sentwith them our brother,whomwe have oftentestedand founddiligentin manythings,but noweven morediligentbecause of [his] greatconfidencein you.
I have confidencein you in the Lordthat you will adoptnootherview;but the one who is disturbingyou will bearhis judgment,whoeverhe is.
We have confidencein the Lordconcerningyou, that you are doingand will [continue to] dowhatwe command.
Having confidencein your obedience,I writeto you, since I knowthat you will doevenmore thanwhatI say.