Bilingual reading

Having therefore these promises, beloved, let’s cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Open your hearts to us. We wronged no one. We corrupted no one. We took advantage of no one.

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

Great is my boldness of speech toward you. Great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort. I overflow with joy in all our affliction.

For even when we had come into Macedonia, our flesh had no relief, but we were afflicted on every side. Fightings were outside. Fear was inside.

Nevertheless, he who comforts the lowly, God, comforted us by the coming of Titus,

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

For though I grieved you with my letter, I do not regret it, though I did regret it. For I see that my letter made you grieve, though just for a while.

I now rejoice, not that you were grieved, but that you were grieved to repentance. For you were grieved in a godly way, that you might suffer loss by us in nothing.

For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, which brings no regret. But the sorrow of the world produces death.

For behold, this same thing, that you were grieved in a godly way, what earnest care it worked in you. Yes, what defense, indignation, fear, longing, zeal, and vindication! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be pure in the matter.

So although I wrote to you, I wrote not for his cause that did the wrong, nor for his cause that suffered the wrong, but that your earnest care for us might be revealed in you in the sight of God.

Therefore we have been comforted. In our comfort we rejoiced the more exceedingly for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all.

For if in anything I have boasted to him on your behalf, I was not disappointed. But as we spoke all things to you in truth, so our glorying also which I made before Titus was found to be truth.

His affection is more abundantly toward you, while he remembers all of your obedience, how with fear and trembling you received him.

I rejoice that in everything I am confident concerning you.

ولَمَّا كانَت لنا، أَيُّها الأَحِبَّاء، هٰذِه المَواعِد، فلْنُطَهِّرْ أَنْفُسَنا مِن أَدناسِ الجَسَدِ والرُّوحِ كُلِّها، مُتَمِّمينَ تَقْديسَنا في مَخافةِ الله

تَفَهَّموا كَلامَنا بِرَحابَةِ صَدْر، فإِنَّنا لم نَظْلِمْ أَحَدًا ولَم نُفقِرْ أَحَدًا ولَم نَستَغِلَّ أَحَدًا

لا أَقولُ ذٰلِكَ ِلِلْحُكْمِ علَيكم، فقَد قُلتُ لَكم مِن قَبلُ إِنَّكم في قُلوبِنا على الحَياةِ والمَوت

لي ثِقَةٌ بِكُم كَبيرة، وأَنا عَظيمُ الِٱفتِخارِ بِكُم. قدِ ٱمتَلأتُ بِالعَزاء وفاضَ قَلْبي فَرَحًا في شَدائِدِنا كُلِّها

فلَمَّا قَدِمنا مَقْدونِية، لم يَعرِفْ ضُعفُنا البَشَرِيُّ الرَّاحَة، بل عانَينا الشَّدائِدَ على أَنْواعِها: حُروبٌ في الخارِج ومَخاوفُ في الدَّاخِل

ولٰكِنَّ اللهَ الَّذي يُعَزِّي المُتَواضِعينَ قد عَزَّانا بِمَجيءِ طيطُس

لا بِمَجيئِه فَقَط، بل بِالعَزاءِ الَّذي تَلَقَّاه مِنكم. وقد أَطلَعَنا على شَوقِكُم وحُزنِكُم وحَمِيَّتِكم لي، حَتَّى إِنِّي ٱزدَدتُ فَرَحًا

فإِذا كُنتُ قد أَحزَنتُكُم بِرِسالَتي، فَمَا أَنا بِنادِمٍ على ذٰلِك، وإِذا نَدِمتُ – وأَرى أَنَّ تِلكَ الرِّسالَةَ أَحزَنَتْكُم ولَو حِينًا

فإِنِّي أَفرَحُ الآن، لا لِما نالَكم مِنَ الحُزْن، بل لِأَنَّ حُزنَكُم حَمَلَكُم على التَّوبَة. فقَد حَزِنتُم للهِ، فلَم يَنَلْكُم مِنَّا أَيُّ خُسْران

لِأَنَّ الحُزْنَ للهِ يُورِثُ تَوبَةً تُؤَدِّي إِلى الخَلاص ولا نَدَمَ عَلَيها، في حِينِ أَنَّ حُزْنَ الدُّنْيا يُورِثُ المَوت

فٱنظُروا ما أَورَثَكم هٰذا الحُزنُ للهِ: فأَيُّ حَمِيَّةٍ، بل أَيُّ ٱعتِذارٍ وغَيظٍ وخَوفٍ وشَوقٍ ونَخْوَةٍ وعِقاب! وقَد بَرهَنْتُم في كُلِّ شَيءٍ على أَنَّكُم أَبْرِياءُ مِن ذٰلِكَ الأَمْر

فإِذا كَتَبتُ إِلَيكُم، فإِنِّي أَفعَلُ ذٰلك لا مِن أَجْلِ الظَّالِم ولا مِن أَجْلِ المَظْلوم، بل لِيَتَّضِحَ لَكم أَمامَ اللهِ ما أَنتُم علَيه مِنَ الحَمِيَّةِ لَنا

ولِذٰلك لَقينا العَزاء. ويُضافُ إِلى عَزائِنا هٰذا أَنَّ فَرَحَنا ٱزْدادَ ٱزدِيادًا فائِقًا بِفرَحِ طيطُس لِلِٱطمِئنانِ الَّذي نالَه مِنكم أَجمَعين

وإِنِّي، إِذا ٱفتَخَرتُ بِكُم في شَيءٍ أَمامَه، لم أَخجَلْ بِه. فكَما قُلْنا لَكُمُ الحَقَّ في كُلِّ شَيء فكَذٰلكَ كانَ ٱفتِخارُنا بِكُم عِندَ طيطُسَ حَقًّا

ويَزدادُ حَنانُه علَيكم، عِندَما يَتَذَكَّرُ طاعَتَكم جَميعًا وكَيفَ تَلَقَّيتُموه بِخَوفٍ ورِعدَة

ويَسُرُّني أَن أَعتَمِدَ علَيكُم في كُلِّ شَيء