2 Corinthians 2

1 So I made up my mind not to make another painful visit to you.

Actually, I determined this within myself, that I would not come again to you in sorrow.

2 For if I grieve you, who is left to cheer me but those whom I have grieved?

For if I make you sorrowful, then who will make me glad, besides the one whom I made sorrowful?

3 I wrote as I did so that on my arrival I would not be saddened by those who ought to make me rejoice. I had confidence in all of you, that you would share my joy.

And I wrote this very thing to you so as not to have sorrow from those who ought to make me rejoice, when I come, having confidence in you all that my joy is also yours.

4 For through many tears I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart, not to grieve you but to let you know how much I love you.

Now I wrote to you out of great distress and anguish of heart, with many tears, not that you should be made sorrowful, but that you might know the greatness of my love for you.

5 Now if anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved me but all of you—to some degree, not to overstate it.

So, if anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has all of you, to some extent—not to be too ‘heavy’.

6 The punishment imposed on him by the majority is sufficient for him.

This punishment that was inflicted by the majority is sufficient to such a one,

7 So instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.

so that now, on the other side, you should forgive and comfort him, so that he not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.

8 Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him.

Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him.

9 My purpose in writing you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything.

Now I also wrote to this end: to put you to the test, to see whether you are obedient in all things.

10 If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And if I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven it in the presence of Christ for your sake,

If you forgive anyone, I do too; further, if indeed I have forgiven anything to someone, I have done so for your sakes in the presence of Christ,

11 in order that Satan should not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.

so that we not be exploited by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his intentions.

12 Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and a door stood open for me in the Lord,

Also, upon arriving in Troas for the Gospel of Christ, a door having been opened to me by Sovereign,

13 I had no peace in my spirit, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia.

I had no rest in my spirit, because I did not find Titus my brother; so taking leave of them I went on into Macedonia.

14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us triumphantly as captives in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.

Now thanks be to the God who always leads us in triumph in the Christ, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Him in every place.

15 For we are to God the sweet aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.

Because we are the aroma of Christ for God, among those who are being saved and among those who are being wasted—

16 To the one, we are an odor of death and demise; to the other, a fragrance that brings life. And who is qualified for such a task?

to these a smell of death into death, while to those a fragrance of life into life—and who is adequate for such things?

17 For we are not like so many others, who peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as men sent from God.

However, we are not like the rest who retail the word of God; rather, we speak in Christ, out of sincerity, as of God in His very presence.