2 Corinthians 2

1 Bvt I determined thus in my selfe, that I would not come againe to you in heauinesse.

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

2 For if I make you sorie, who is he then that shoulde make me glad, but ye same which is made sorie 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 I wrote this same thing vnto you, lest when I came, I should take heauines of them, of whom I ought to reioyce: this confidence haue I in you all, that my ioye is the ioye of you all.

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 in great affliction, and anguish of heart I wrote vnto you with many teares: not that yee should be made sorie, but that ye might perceiue the loue which I haue, specially vnto 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 And if any hath caused sorowe, the same hath not made mee sorie, but partly (lest I should more charge him) you all.

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 It is sufficient vnto the same man, that hee was rebuked of many.

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

7 So that nowe contrariwise yee ought rather to forgiue him, and comfort him, lest the same shoulde bee swalowed vp with ouermuch heauinesse.

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 Wherefore, I pray you, that you woulde confirme your loue towards him.

So I entreat you to assure him of your love.

9 For this cause also did I write, that I might knowe the proofe of you, whether yee 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 To whome yee forgiue any thing, I forgiue also: for verely if I forgaue any thing, to whome I forgaue it, for your sakes forgaue I it in the sight of Christ,

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 Lest Satan should circumuent vs: for we are not ignorant of his enterprises.

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

12 Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christs Gospell, and a doore was opened vnto me of 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 in my spirit, because I founde not Titus my brother, but tooke my leaue of them, and went away into 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 Now thankes be vnto God, which alwaies maketh vs to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the sauour of his knowledge by vs in euery 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 wee are vnto God the sweete sauour of Christ, in them that are saued, and in them which perish.

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 we are the sauour of death, vnto death, and to the other the sauour of life, vnto life: and who is sufficient for these things?

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 wee are not as many, which make marchandise of the woorde of God: but as of sinceritie, but as of God in ye sight of God speake we 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.