Forgiveness for the Offender

⁵ If anyone has caused grief,^(A) he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you to some extent—not to put it too severely. ⁶ The punishment^(B) inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. ⁷ Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him,^(C) so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. ⁸ I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him.

⁸ Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter,^(A) I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— ⁹ 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. ¹⁰ Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation^(B) and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. ¹¹ See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern,^(C) what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. ¹² So even though I wrote to you,^(D) it was neither on account of the one who did the wrong^(E) nor on account of the injured party, but rather that before God you could see for yourselves how devoted to us you are.