^1:12For our reason for confidence²³ is this: the testimony of our conscience, that with pure motives²⁴ and sincerity which are from God²⁵—not by human wisdom²⁶ but by the grace of God—we conducted ourselves in the world, and all the more²⁷ toward you. ^1:13For we do not write you anything other than what²⁸ you can read and also understand. But I hope that you will understand completely²⁹^1:14just as also you have partly understood us, that we are your source of pride just as you also are ours³⁰ in the day of the Lord Jesus.³¹

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Footnotes

23 Or “for boasting.”
24 Two viable variants exist at this place in the text: ἁγιότητι (hagiotēti, “holiness”) vs. ἁπλότητι (haplotēti, “pure motives”). A confusion of letters could well have produced the variant ( ): In uncial script the words would have been written ΑΓΙΟΤΗΤΙ and ΑΠΛΟΤΗΤΙ. This, however, does not explain which reading created the other. Overall ἁπλότητι, though largely a Western-Byzantine reading (א2 D F G 𝔐 lat sy), is better suited to the context; it is also a Pauline word while ἁγιότης (hagiotēs) is not. It also best explains the rise of the other variants, πραότητι (praotēti, “gentleness”) and {σπλάγχνοις} (splanchnois, “compassion”). On the other hand, the external evidence in favor of ἁγιότητι is extremely strong (𝔓46 א* A B C K P Ψ 0121 0243 33 81 1739 1881 co). This diversity of provides excellent evidence for authenticity, but because of the internal evidence listed above, ἁπλότητι is to be preferred, albeit only slightly. Or “sincerity.” The two terms translated “pure motives” (ἁπλότης, haplotēs) and “sincerity” (εἰλικρίνεια, eilikrineia) are close synonyms.
25 Grk “pure motives and sincerity of God.”
26 Or “not by worldly wisdom.”
27 Or “and especially.”
28 Grk “than the things.”
29 Grk “to the end,” a Greek idiom for “fully,” “totally,” “completely.”
30 Grk “that we are your boast even as you are our boast.”
31 On the wording “the Lord Jesus” (τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ, tou kuriou Iēsou) there is some variation in the extant witnesses: ἡμῶν (hēmōn, “our”) is found after κυρίου in several significant witnesses (א B F G P 0121 0243 6 33 81 1739 1881 2464 lat co); the pronoun is lacking from 𝔓46vid A C D Ψ 𝔐. Although in Paul “our Lord Jesus Christ” is a common expression, “our Lord Jesus” is relatively infrequent (cf., e.g., Rom 16:20; 2 Cor 1:14; 1 Thess 2:19; 3:11, 13; 2 Thess 1:8, 12). “The Lord Jesus” occurs about as often as “our Lord Jesus” (cf. 1 Cor 11:23; 16:23; 2 Cor 4:14; 11:31; Eph 1:15; 1 Thess 4:2; 2 Thess 1:7; Phlm 5). Thus, on balance, since scribes would tend to expand on the text, it is probably best to consider the shorter reading as authentic. places the pronoun in brackets, indicating doubt as to its authenticity.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you. For we are not writing to you anything other than what you read and understand and I hope you will fully understand— just as you did partially understand us—that on the day of our Lord Jesus you will boast of us as we will boast of you.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace. For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that, as you have understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Indeed, this is our boast: The testimony of our conscience is that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you, with godly sincerity and purity, not by human wisdom but by God’s grace. For we are writing nothing to you other than what you can read and also understand. I hope you will understand completely—just as you have partially understood us—that we are your reason for pride, just as you also are ours in the day of our Lord Jesus.

NLTNew Living Translation

We can say with confidence and a clear conscience that we have lived with a God-given holiness and sincerity in all our dealings. We have depended on God’s grace, not on our own human wisdom. That is how we have conducted ourselves before the world, and especially toward you. Our letters have been straightforward, and there is nothing written between the lines and nothing you can’t understand. I hope someday you will fully understand us, even if you don’t understand us now. Then on the day when the Lord Jesus returns, you will be proud of us in the same way we are proud of you.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

For our reason for boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you, in holiness and purity of motive from God, not in merely human wisdom, but by the grace of God. For we are not writing anything else to you except what you can read or also understand. But I hope that you will understand completely, just as you have also understood us in part, that we are your reason for boasting, just as you are also ours in the day of our Lord Jesus.

KJV 1900King James Version

For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward. For we write none other things unto you, than what ye read or acknowledge; and I trust ye shall acknowledge even to the end; As also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as ye also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus.

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