2 Corinthians 2

1 I decided that I would not visit you again in grief;

That's why I decided that I would avoid another sad visit with you.

2 for if I cause you grief, who is there to cause me joy except those whom I have grieved?

For if I make you sad, who will be there to make me happy? It won't be those I've made sad!

3 And for this very reason I wrote you, that I might not come only to be grieved by those who ought to give me joy; and because I trusted in you all, that my joy is the joy of all of you.

That's why I wrote what I did, so that I wouldn't be sad over those who should make me happy. I was so sure that all of you would share in my happiness.

4 For I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart, through many tears; not to pain you, but to convince you of my love, my abundant love for you.

I was crying many tears when I wrote to you, in great anguish and with a heavy heart—not to make you sad, but so you would know how much love I have for you.

5 As to him who has been, and now is, causing pain, it is not I whom he has pained, but all of you - at least some of you (not to overstate the case).

Not to put it too strongly, but the person caused more pain to all of you than to me.

6 Sufficient for the offender is the punishment imposed by the majority;

This person suffered enough punishment from the majority of you,

7 so that now you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest he should be overwhelmed by the excess of his grief.

so now you should forgive him and be kind to him. Otherwise he may sink into despair.

8 So I beg you to reinstate him in your love.

So I urge you to publicly affirm your love towards him.

9 For this very purpose also I wrote you (before), that I might test you, to see if you were obedient in every respect.

That's why I wrote: so I could discoverer your true character and whether you're doing everything you were told to do.

10 If you forgive the man, I forgive him, too; for whatever I have forgiven has been forgiven in the presence of Christ,

Anyone you forgive, I forgive too. What I have forgiven, whatever it may be, I have forgiven before Christ for your benefit.

11 for your sakes, that I may not be overreached by Satan, for I am not ignorant of his devices.

In this way Satan will not be able to take us in, because we know the tricks he thinks up.

12 Now when I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, although a door was opened to me in the Lord,

Now when I arrived in Troas to spread the good news of Christ, the Lord opened a door of opportunity for me.

13 I could get no peace of mind because I failed to find Titus, my brother. So I bade them good-bye and started off for Macedonia.

But my mind wasn't at peace because I couldn't find my brother Titus. So I said goodbye and went over to Macedonia.

14 But thanks be to God, who in every place is leading me in the train of Christ’s triumph, and is making manifest through me the knowledge of him, an odor of incense everywhere.

But praise be to God, who always leads us in a triumphal procession in Christ, and reveals through us the sweet scent of his knowledge wherever we go!

15 I am Christ’s fragrance upwafted unto God, among those who are being saved and those who are perishing;

We are like a fragrance of Christ to God, rising up from among those who are being saved as well as those who are dying.

16 to these latter an odor of death to death, to the former, of life to life. For such service as this, who is sufficient?

To those who are dying it is the smell of decay, while to those who are being saved it is the scent of life! But who is up to such an assignment?

17 I am; for I am not like most, trafficking in the word of God, but rather from a sincere heart, like a man of God, I speak in Christ, in the very presence of God.

We are not like the majority who trade in the word of God for profit. Quite the opposite: we are sincere in sharing the word of God in Christ, knowing God is watching us.