< 2 Corinthians 2 >

1 For my own sake, as well, I decided not to pay you another painful visit.
Ἔκρινα γὰρ ἐμαυτῷ τοῦτο, τὸ μὴ πάλιν ἐν λύπῃ πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐλθεῖν.
2 If it is I who cause you pain, why, who is there to cheer me, except the person whom I am paining?
Εἰ γὰρ ἐγὼ λυπῶ ὑμᾶς, καὶ τίς ὁ εὐφραίνων με, εἰ μὴ ὁ λυπούμενος ἐξ ἐμοῦ;
3 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.
Καὶ ἔγραψα τοῦτο αὐτὸ, ἵνα μὴ ἐλθὼν, λύπην σχῶ ἀφʼ ὧν ἔδει με χαίρειν, πεποιθὼς ἐπὶ πάντας ὑμᾶς ὅτι ἡ ἐμὴ χαρὰ πάντων ὑμῶν ἐστιν.
4 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.
Ἐκ γὰρ πολλῆς θλίψεως καὶ συνοχῆς καρδίας, ἔγραψα ὑμῖν διὰ πολλῶν δακρύων, οὐχ ἵνα λυπηθῆτε, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἀγάπην ἵνα γνῶτε ἣν ἔχω περισσοτέρως εἰς ὑμᾶς.
5 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.
Εἰ δέ τις λελύπηκεν, οὐκ ἐμὲ λελύπηκεν, ἀλλὰ ἀπὸ μέρους, ἵνα μὴ ἐπιβαρῶ πάντας ὑμᾶς.
6 The man to whom I refer has been sufficiently punished by the penalty inflicted by the majority of you;
Ἱκανὸν τῷ τοιούτῳ ἡ ἐπιτιμία αὕτη, ἡ ὑπὸ τῶν πλειόνων,
7 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.
ὥστε τοὐναντίον μᾶλλον ὑμᾶς χαρίσασθαι καὶ παρακαλέσαι, μή πως τῇ περισσοτέρᾳ λύπῃ, καταποθῇ ὁ τοιοῦτος.
8 So I entreat you to assure him of your love.
Διὸ παρακαλῶ ὑμᾶς, κυρῶσαι εἰς αὐτὸν ἀγάπην.
9 I had this further object, also, in what I wrote – to find out whether you might be relied on to be obedient in everything.
Εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ἔγραψα, ἵνα γνῶ τὴν δοκιμὴν ὑμῶν, εἰ εἰς πάντα ὑπήκοοί ἐστε.
10 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,
ὯΙ δέ τι χαρίζεσθε, κἀγώ· καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼ ὃ κεχάρισμαι, εἴ τι κεχάρισμαι, διʼ ὑμᾶς ἐν προσώπῳ ˚Χριστοῦ,
11 so as to prevent Satan from taking advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.
ἵνα μὴ πλεονεκτηθῶμεν ὑπὸ τοῦ Σατανᾶ, οὐ γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὰ νοήματα ἀγνοοῦμεν.
12 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,
Ἐλθὼν δὲ εἰς τὴν Τρῳάδα εἰς τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ ˚Χριστοῦ, καὶ θύρας μοι ἀνεῳγμένης ἐν ˚Κυρίῳ,
13 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.
οὐκ ἔσχηκα ἄνεσιν τῷ πνεύματί μου, τῷ μὴ εὑρεῖν με Τίτον τὸν ἀδελφόν μου, ἀλλὰ ἀποταξάμενος αὐτοῖς, ἐξῆλθον εἰς Μακεδονίαν.
14 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.
Τῷ δὲ ˚Θεῷ χάρις, τῷ πάντοτε θριαμβεύοντι ἡμᾶς ἐν τῷ ˚Χριστῷ, καὶ τὴν ὀσμὴν τῆς γνώσεως αὐτοῦ, φανεροῦντι διʼ ἡμῶν ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ.
15 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.
Ὅτι ˚Χριστοῦ εὐωδία ἐσμὲν τῷ ˚Θεῷ, ἐν τοῖς σῳζομένοις καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀπολλυμένοις,
16 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?
οἷς μὲν ὀσμὴ ἐκ θανάτου εἰς θάνατον, οἷς δὲ ὀσμὴ ἐκ ζωῆς εἰς ζωήν. Καὶ πρὸς ταῦτα τίς ἱκανός;
17 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.
Οὐ γάρ ἐσμεν ὡς οἱ πολλοὶ καπηλεύοντες τὸν λόγον τοῦ ˚Θεοῦ, ἀλλʼ ὡς ἐξ εἰλικρινείας, ἀλλʼ ὡς ἐκ ˚Θεοῦ, κατέναντι ˚Θεοῦ ἐν ˚Χριστῷ λαλοῦμεν.

< 2 Corinthians 2 >