2 Corinthians 2

1 But I determined this within myself, not to return again to you in sorrow.

For my own sake, as well, I decided not to pay you another painful visit.

2 For if I make you sorrowful, then who is it that can make me glad, except the one who is made sorrowful by me?

If it is I who cause you pain, why, who is there to cheer me, except the person whom I am paining?

3 And so, I wrote this same thing to you, so that I might not, when I arrive, add sorrow to sorrow for those with whom I ought to rejoice, having confidence in you in all things, so that my joy may be entirely yours.

So I wrote as I did because I was afraid that if I had come, I should have been pained by those who ought to have made me glad; for I felt sure that it was true of you all that my joy was in every case yours also.

4 For with much tribulation and anguish of heart, I wrote to you with many tears: not so that you would be sorrowful, but so that you might know the charity that I have more abundantly toward you.

I wrote to you in sore trouble and distress of heart and with many tears, not to give you pain, but to let you see how intense a love I have for you.

5 But if anyone has brought sorrow, he has not sorrowed me. Yet, for my part, this is so that I might not burden all of you.

Now whoever has caused the pain has not so much pained me, as he has, to some extent – not to be too severe – pained every one of you.

6 Let this rebuke be sufficient for someone like this, for it has been brought by many.

The man to whom I refer has been sufficiently punished by the penalty inflicted by the majority of you;

7 So then, to the contrary, you should be more forgiving and consoling, lest perhaps someone like this may be overwhelmed with excessive sorrow.

so that now you must take the opposite course, and forgive and encourage him, or else he may be overwhelmed by the intensity of his pain.

8 Because of this, I beg you to confirm your charity toward him.

So I entreat you to assure him of your love.

9 It was for this reason, also, that I wrote, so that I might know, by testing you, whether you would be obedient in all things.

I had this further object, also, in what I wrote – to find out whether you might be relied on to be obedient in everything.

10 But anyone whom you have forgiven of anything, I also forgive. And then, too, anyone I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, it was done in the person of Christ for your sakes,

Anyone you forgive, I forgive them, too. Indeed, for my part, whatever I have forgiven (if I have had to forgive anything), I have forgiven for your sakes, in the presence of Christ,

11 so that we would not be circumvented by Satan. For we are not ignorant of his intentions.

so as to prevent Satan from taking advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.

12 And when I had arrived at Troas, because of the Gospel of Christ, and a door had opened to me in the Lord,

When I went to the district round Troas to tell the good news of the Christ, even though there was an opening for serving the Master,

13 I had no rest within my spirit, because I was not able to find Titus, my brother. So, saying goodbye to them, I set out for Macedonia.

I could get no peace of mind because I failed to find Titus, my friend; so I took leave of the people there, and went on to Macedonia.

14 But thanks be to God, who always brings triumph to us in Christ Jesus, and who manifests the fragrance of his knowledge through us in every place.

All thanks to God, who, through our union with the Christ, leads us in one continual triumph, and uses us to spread the sweet perfume of the knowledge of him in every place.

15 For we are the sweet fragrance of Christ for God, both with those who are being saved and with those who are perishing.

For we are the fragrance of Christ ascending to God – both among those who are in the path of salvation and among those who are in the path to ruin.

16 To the one, certainly, the fragrance is of death unto death. But to the other, the fragrance is of life unto life. And concerning these things, who is so suitable?

To the latter we are a stench which arises from death and tells of death; to the former a fragrance which arises from life and tells of life. But who is equal to such a task?

17 For we are not like many others, adulterating the Word of God. But instead, we speak with sincerity: from God, before God, and in Christ.

Unlike many people, we are not in the habit of making profit out of God’s message; but in all sincerity, and bearing God’s commission, we speak before him in union with Christ.