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.
I have confidencein you in the Lordthat you will adoptnootherview;but the one who is disturbingyou will bearhis judgment,whoeverhe is.
We have sentwith them our brother,whomwe have oftentestedand founddiligentin manythings,but noweven morediligentbecause of [his] greatconfidencein you.
Having confidencein your obedience,I writeto you, since I knowthat you will doevenmore thanwhatI say.
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.
We have confidencein the Lordconcerningyou, that you are doingand will [continue to] dowhatwe command.
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.
I have becomefoolish;you yourselvescompelledme. ActuallyI shouldhave been commendedby you, for in norespectwas I inferiorto the most eminentapostles,eventhoughI ama nobody.
For thoughI causedyou sorrowby my letter,I do not regretit; thoughI did regretit-- [for] I seethat that lettercaused you sorrow,thoughonlyfor a while--
But God,who comfortsthe depressed,comfortedus by the comingof Titus;
In thisconfidenceI intendedat firstto cometo you, sothat you might twicereceivea blessing;
Whatdo you desire?Shall I cometo you with a rod,orwith loveand a spiritof gentleness?
But I callGodas witnessto my soul,that to spareyou I did not comeagainto Corinth.
For to thisend alsoI wrote,sothat I might putyou to the test,whetheryou are obedientin all things.
I rejoicethat in everythingI have confidencein you.
For thisreasonI am writingthese thingswhile absent,sothat when presentI [need] not useseverity,in accordancewith the authoritywhichthe Lordgaveme for buildingup and not for tearing down.