That is why I wrote to you as I did, so that when I do come, I won’t be grieved by the very ones who ought to give me the greatest joy. Surely you all know that my joy comes from your being joyful.

我曾把这事写给你们，恐怕我到的时候，应该叫我快乐的那些人，反倒叫我忧愁。我也深信，你们众人都以我的快乐为自己的快乐。

我曾把这事写给你们，免得我到的时候，那该令我喜乐的人反倒令我悲伤。我也深信，你们众人都以我的喜乐为自己的喜乐。

我曾把这事写给你们，免得我到的时候，那该令我喜乐的人反倒令我悲伤。我也深信，你们众人都以我的喜乐为自己的喜乐。

我曾为这事写信给你们，免得我到你们那里时，那些本该使我喜乐的人反而使我忧伤。我也深信你们会以我的喜乐为你们的喜乐。

我写了这样的信，免得我来的时候，应该使我快乐的人反而使我忧愁；我深信你们众人都以我的喜乐为你们的喜乐。

我写了那封信，免得我来的时候，那些本应该使我喜乐的人使我忧伤，因为我深信你们大家以我的喜乐为你们大家的喜乐。

我曾把這事寫給你們，恐怕我到的時候，應該叫我快樂的那些人，反倒叫我憂愁。我也深信，你們眾人都以我的快樂為自己的快樂。

我曾把這事寫給你們，免得我到的時候，那該令我喜樂的人反倒令我悲傷。我也深信，你們眾人都以我的喜樂為自己的喜樂。

我曾把這事寫給你們，免得我到的時候，那該令我喜樂的人反倒令我悲傷。我也深信，你們眾人都以我的喜樂為自己的喜樂。

我曾為這事寫信給你們，免得我到你們那裡時，那些本該使我喜樂的人反而使我憂傷。我也深信你們會以我的喜樂為你們的喜樂。

我寫了這樣的信，免得我來的時候，應該使我快樂的人反而使我憂愁；我深信你們眾人都以我的喜樂為你們的喜樂。

而我所寫的正是要避免我來到時、該叫我喜歡的人反而讓我憂愁；我深信你們眾人，我準知道我的喜樂就是你們自己的喜樂。

我寫了那封信，免得我來的時候，那些本應該使我喜樂的人使我憂傷，因為我深信你們大家以我的喜樂為你們大家的喜樂。

昔特書此、恐我來時所當使我樂者、反令我憂、蓋我深信爾眾以我樂為樂也、

昔我以書達爾、恐來時所當使我樂者、轉令我憂耳、蓋我樂即爾樂、吾知之素矣、

蓋我深知爾眾以我之樂為己之樂、

此點吾在前書中亦曾提及、以免吾來之時、應使我歡欣鼓舞者、反貽我以憂戚耳。且吾固深信爾等莫不以吾之樂為樂也。

I wrote as I did, so that when I came I would not be distressed by those who should have made me rejoice. I had confidence in all of you, that you would all share my joy.

What I wrote to you I wrote for a special reason. When I came, I didn’t want to be troubled by those who should make me glad. I was sure that all of you would share my joy.

And I wrote as I did, so that when I came I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice, for I felt sure of all of you, that my joy would be the joy of you all.

I wrote this very thing so that when I came I wouldn’t have pain from those who ought to give me joy, because I am confident about all of you that my joy will also be yours.

This is the very thing I wrote you, so that when I came, I would not have sorrow from those who ought to make me rejoice; having confidence in you all that my joy was the joy of you all.

And I wrote this very thing to you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow over those from whom I ought to have joy, having confidence in you all that my joy is the joy of you all.

And I wrote this very thing, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all.

I wrote this very thing so that when I came I wouldn’t have pain from those who ought to give me joy, because I am confident about all of you that my joy will also be yours.

And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is[ the joy] of you all.

And I wrote this very thing to you, so that when I came I would not have sadness from those who ought to make me rejoice, since I am confident in you all that my joy would be yours.

And I wrote this very thing to you, so that, when I came, I wouldn’t have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy would be shared by all of you.

I am trusting the Lord to keep you from believing false teachings. God will judge that person, whoever he is, who has been confusing you.

We are also sending with them another of our brothers who has proven himself many times and has shown on many occasions how eager he is. He is now even more enthusiastic because of his great confidence in you.

I am confident as I write this letter that you will do what I ask and even more!

Yes, I am afraid that when I come again, God will humble me in your presence. And I will be grieved because many of you have not given up your old sins. You have not repented of your impurity, sexual immorality, and eagerness for lustful pleasure.This is the third time I am coming to visit you( and as the Scriptures say,“ The facts of every case must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses”).I have already warned those who had been sinning when I was there on my second visit. Now I again warn them and all others, just as I did before, that next time I will not spare them.

I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful to you for a little while.

Since I was so sure of your understanding and trust, I wanted to give you a double blessing by visiting you twice—

And we are confident in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we commanded you.

Which do you choose? Should I come with a rod to punish you, or should I come with love and a gentle spirit?I can hardly believe the report about the sexual immorality going on among you— something that even pagans don’t do. I am told that a man in your church is living in sin with his stepmother.You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning in sorrow and shame. And you should remove this man from your fellowship.Even though I am not with you in person, I am with you in the Spirit. And as though I were there, I have already passed judgment on this manin the name of the Lord Jesus. You must call a meeting of the church. I will be present with you in spirit, and so will the power of our Lord Jesus.Then you must throw this man out and hand him over to Satan so that his sinful nature will be destroyed and he himself will be saved on the day the Lord returns.Your boasting about this is terrible. Don’t you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough?Get rid of the old“ yeast” by removing this wicked person from among you. Then you will be like a fresh batch of dough made without yeast, which is what you really are. Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us.So let us celebrate the festival, not with the old bread of wickedness and evil, but with the new bread of sincerity and truth.When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin.But I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that.I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people.It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning.God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say,“ You must remove the evil person from among you.”

My purpose, then, was not to write about who did the wrong or who was wronged. I wrote to you so that in the sight of God you could see for yourselves how loyal you are to us.

But God, who encourages those who are discouraged, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus.

You have made me act like a fool. You ought to be writing commendations for me, for I am not at all inferior to these“ super apostles,” even though I am nothing at all.