2 Corinthians 2

1 But I determined this for myself, that I would not come to you again in sorrow.

But, so far as I am concerned, I have resolved not to have a painful visit the next time I come to see you.

2 For if I make you grieve, then who will make me glad but he who is made to grieve by me?

For if I of all men give you pain, who then is there to gladden my heart, but the very persons to whom I give pain?

3 And I wrote this very thing to you, so that when I came, I would not 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.

And I write this to you in order that when I come I may not receive pain from those who ought to give me joy, confident as I am as to all of you that my joy is the joy of you all.

4 For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears, not that you should be made to grieve, but that you might know the love that I have so abundantly for you.

For with many tears I write to you, and in deep suffering and depression of spirit, not in order to grieve you, but in the hope of showing you how brimful my heart is with love for you.

5 But if any has caused sorrow, he has caused sorrow not to me, but in part (that I not press too heavily) to you all.

Now if any one has caused sorrow, it has been caused not so much to me, as in some degree--for I have no wish to exaggerate--to all of you.

6 This punishment which was inflicted by the many is sufficient for such a one;

In the case of such a person the punishment which was inflicted by the majority of you is enough.

7 so that, on the contrary, you should rather forgive him and comfort him, lest by any means such a one should be swallowed up with his excessive sorrow.

So that you may now take the opposite course, and forgive him rather and comfort him, for fear he should perhaps be driven to despair by his excess of grief.

8 Therefore I beg you to confirm your love toward him.

I beg you therefore fully to reinstate him in your love.

9 For to this end I also wrote, that I might know the proof of you, whether you are obedient in all things.

For in writing to you I have also this object in view--to discover by experience whether you are prepared to be obedient in every respect.

10 Now I also forgive whomever you forgive anything. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ,

When you forgive a man an offence I also forgive it; for in fact what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has always been for your sakes in the presence of Christ,

11 that no advantage may be gained over us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.

for fear Satan should gain an advantage over us. For we are not ignorant of his devices.

12 Now when I came to Troas for the Good News of Christ, and when a door was opened to me in the Lord,

Now when I came into the Troad to spread there the Good News about the Christ, even though in the Lord's providence a door stood open before me,

13 I had no relief for my spirit, because I did not find Titus my brother, but taking my leave of them, I went out into Macedonia.

yet, obtaining no relief for my spirit because I did not find our brother Titus, I bade them farewell and went on into Macedonia.

14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and reveals through us the sweet aroma of his knowledge in every place.

But to God be the thanks who in Christ ever heads our triumphal procession, and by our hands waves in every place that sweet incense, the knowledge of Him.

15 For we are a sweet aroma of Christ to God in those who are saved and in those who perish:

For we are a fragrance of Christ grateful to God in those whom He is saving and in those who are perishing;

16 to the one a stench from death to death, to the other a sweet aroma from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?

to the last-named an odor of death predictive of death, and to the others an odor of life predictive of life. And for such service as this who is competent?

17 For we are not as so many, peddling the word of God. But as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God, we speak in Christ.

We are; for, unlike most teachers, we are not fraudulent hucksters of God's Message; but with transparent motives, as commissioned by God, in God's presence and in communion with Christ, so we speak.