Now I am happy. I’m not happy because you were made sad. I’m happy because your sadness led you to turn away from your sins. You became sad just as God wanted you to. So you were not hurt in any way by us.

如今我欢喜，不是因你们忧愁，是因你们从忧愁中生出懊悔来。你们依着神的意思忧愁，凡事就不至于因我们受亏损了。

如今我欢喜，不是因你们曾忧愁，而是因忧愁导致你们的悔改。你们依着上帝的意思忧愁，凡事就不至于因我们受亏损了。

如今我欢喜，不是因你们曾忧愁，而是因忧愁导致你们的悔改。你们依着神的意思忧愁，凡事就不至于因我们受亏损了。

现在我很欢喜，当然不是因为你们忧伤而欢喜，而是看见你们因忧伤而悔改了。因为你们这样忧伤合乎上帝的心意，使你们不致因我们而受到任何损失。

现在我快乐，不是因为你们忧伤，而是因为你们的忧伤带来了悔改。你们依照神的意思忧伤，凡事就不会因我们受到亏损。

现在我还是感到欢喜。这并不是因为你们忧伤，而是因为你们忧伤以至于悔改。实际上，你们按神的意思忧伤，使你们在任何事上都不会因我们而受到损失；

如今我歡喜，不是因你們憂愁，是因你們從憂愁中生出懊悔來。你們依着神的意思憂愁，凡事就不至於因我們受虧損了。

如今我歡喜，不是因你們曾憂愁，而是因憂愁導致你們的悔改。你們依着上帝的意思憂愁，凡事就不至於因我們受虧損了。

如今我歡喜，不是因你們曾憂愁，而是因憂愁導致你們的悔改。你們依着神的意思憂愁，凡事就不至於因我們受虧損了。

現在我很歡喜，當然不是因為你們憂傷而歡喜，而是看見你們因憂傷而悔改了。因為你們這樣憂傷合乎上帝的心意，使你們不致因我們而受到任何損失。

現在我快樂，不是因為你們憂傷，而是因為你們的憂傷帶來了悔改。你們依照神的意思憂傷，凡事就不會因我們受到虧損。

如今我歡喜，倒不是因為你們憂愁，乃是因為你們憂愁到懊悔。你們依順着上帝而憂愁，就不至於在甚麼事上因我們而有所虧損了。

現在我還是感到歡喜。這並不是因為你們憂傷，而是因為你們憂傷以至於悔改。實際上，你們按神的意思憂傷，使你們在任何事上都不會因我們而受到損失；

今我喜、非因爾憂、乃因爾憂而生改悔、蓋爾憂乃依上帝旨、致爾無所受損於我儕、

今吾喜、非因爾憂、乃因爾憂而生悔改、蓋爾憂、遵上帝道而憂、明我不虧爾、

今我喜、非因爾憂、乃因爾憂而生悔、蓋爾憂遵天主之旨而憂、則不致因我而有損、

吾今則樂甚；非樂爾等之憂戚、乃樂爾等因憂戚而致悔改耳。爾等之憂戚、既允合天主聖意、則固未因吾人而受損也。

yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us.

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.

Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way.

I now rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because your grief led to repentance. For you were grieved as God willed, so that you didn’t experience any loss from us.

I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us.

Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing.

I now rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye were made sorry unto repentance; for ye were made sorry after a godly sort, that ye might suffer loss by us in nothing.

Now I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because your grief led to repentance. For you were grieved as God willed, so that you didn’t experience any loss from us.

Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.

Now I rejoice, not because you were made sad, but because you were made sad to the point of repentance. For you were made sad as God intended, so that you were not harmed in any way by us.

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.

“ I have heard the groans of Ephraim’s people. They say,‘ You corrected us like a calf you were training. And we have been trained. Bring us back to you, and we will come back. You are the Lord our God.After we wandered away from you, we turned away from our sins. After we learned our lesson, we beat our chests in sorrow. We were full of shame. What we did when we were young brought dishonor on us.’Aren’t the people of Ephraim my dear children? Aren’t they the children I take delight in? I often speak against them. But I still remember them. So my heart longs for them. I love them with a tender love,” announces the Lord.

I have told both Jews and Greeks that they must turn away from their sins to God. They must have faith in our Lord Jesus.

Do I brag too much about the authority the Lord gave me? If I do, it’s because I want to build you up, not tear you down. And I’m not ashamed of that kind of bragging.Don’t think that I’m trying to scare you with my letters.Some say,“ His letters sound important. They are powerful. But in person he doesn’t seem like much. And what he says doesn’t amount to anything.”

I can’t do anything to stop the truth. I can only work for the truth.I’m glad when I am weak but you are strong. I pray that there will be no more problems among you.That’s why I write these things before I come to you. Then when I do come, I won’t have to be hard on you when I use my authority. The Lord gave me the authority to build you up. He didn’t give it to me to tear you down.

Not being able to figure things out is better than laughter. That’s because sorrow is good for the heart.

So he said,“ Go and speak to these people. Tell them,“‘ You will hear but never understand. You will see but never know what you are seeing.’Make the hearts of these people stubborn. Plug up their ears. Close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes. They might hear with their ears. They might understand with their hearts. And they might turn to me and be healed.”Then I said,“ Lord, how long will it be like that?” He answered,“ It will last until the cities of Israel are destroyed. It will last until no one is living in them. It will last until the houses are deserted. The fields will be completely destroyed.

“ Then he began to think clearly again. He said,‘ How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough food! But here I am dying from hunger!I will get up and go back to my father. I will say to him,“ Father, I have sinned against heaven. And I have sinned against you.I am no longer fit to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” ’So he got up and went to his father.“ While the son was still a long way off, his father saw him. He was filled with tender love for his son. He ran to him. He threw his arms around him and kissed him.“ The son said to him,‘ Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer fit to be called your son.’“ But the father said to his servants,‘ Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.Bring the fattest calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.This son of mine was dead. And now he is alive again. He was lost. And now he is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

I tell you, it will be the same in heaven. There will be great joy when one sinner turns away from sin. Yes, there will be more joy than for 99 godly people who do not need to turn away from their sins.

But God comforts those who are sad. He comforted us when Titus came.We were comforted not only when he came but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us how much you longed for me. He told us about your deep sadness and concern for me. That made my joy greater than ever.

But we had to celebrate and be glad. This brother of yours was dead. And now he is alive again. He was lost. And now he is found.’ ”

To those who are dying, we are the smell of death. To those who are being saved, we are the perfume of life. Who is able to do this work?

Godly sadness causes us to turn away from our sins and be saved. And we are certainly not sorry about that! But worldly sadness brings death.Look at what that godly sadness has produced in you. You are working hard to clear yourselves. You are angry and alarmed. You are longing to see me. You are concerned. You are ready to make sure that the right thing is done. In every way you have proved that you are not guilty in that matter.

Here is what we take pride in. Our sense of what is right and wrong tells us how we have acted. We have lived with honor and godly honesty. We have depended on God’s grace and not on the world’s wisdom. We lived that way most of all when we were dealing with you.

“ I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on David’s family line. I will also send it on those who live in Jerusalem. They will look to me. I am the one they have pierced. They will mourn over me as someone mourns over an only child who has died. They will be full of sorrow over me. Their sorrow will be just like someone’s sorrow over an oldest son.

I admit that I have done wrong. I am troubled by my sin.

I tell you, it is the same in heaven. There is joy in heaven over one sinner who turns away from sin.”