2 Corinthians 7:10
8 Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Although I did regret it, I now see that my letter caused you sorrow, but only for a short time.
9 And now I rejoice, not because you were made sorrowful, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you felt the sorrow that God had intended, and so were not harmed in any way by us.
Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
11 Consider what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what zeal, what vindication! In every way you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.
12 So even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did wrong or the one who was harmed, but rather that your earnestness on our behalf would be made clear to you in the sight of God.
Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
- KJV
- For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
- WEB
- For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, which brings no regret. But the sorrow of the world produces death.
- ASV
- For godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation, [a repentance] which bringeth no regret: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
- DARBY
- For grief according to God works repentance to salvation, never to be regretted; but the grief of the world works death.
- BLB
- For grief according to God works repentance unto salvation without regret; but the grief of the world produces death.
- ÅB
- For bedrøvelsen etter Guds sinn virker omvendelse til frelse, som ingen angrer; men verdens bedrøvelse virker død.
- OTB
- For sorgen som stemmer med Guds vilje, bringer en omvendelse som fører til frelse og etterlater ingen anger, men verdslig sorg bringer død.
- B1930
- For bedrøvelsen efter Guds sinn virker omvendelse til frelse, som ingen angrer; men verdens bedrøvelse virker død.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Acts 3:19
Repent, then, and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped away,
Read in contextActs 11:18
When they heard this, their objections were put to rest, and they glorified God, saying, “So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.”
Read in context2 Timothy 2:25–26
He must gently reprove those who oppose him, in the hope that God may grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth.
Read in context2 Samuel 12:13
Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” “The LORD has taken away your sin,” Nathan replied. “You will not die.
Read in contextLuke 18:13
But the tax collector stood at a distance, unwilling even to lift up his eyes to heaven. Instead, he beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’
Read in contextLuke 15:10
In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.”
Read in context1 Kings 8:47–50
and when they come to their senses in the land to which they were taken, and they repent and plead with You in the land of their captors, saying, ‘We have sinned and done wrong; we have acted wickedly,’
Read in contextJonah 3:10
When God saw their actions—that they had turned from their evil ways—He relented from the disaster He had threatened to bring upon them.
Read in context