2 Corinthians 2

1 Anyway, I definitely decided that I would not come to visit you again [now. If I had come, I would have spoken severely to you again, and] I would have made you unhappy as I did the last time [I visited you].

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

2 [And] if I make you unhappy, I will have made unhappy [the only people who can cheer me up], so (there will be none of you to cheer me up!/who would cheer me up?) [RHQ]

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

3 So, [instead of going to visit you at that time], I wrote a letter [and sent it to you]. I wrote it the way I did so that [you would know what you should do. Then] when I come to visit you, you will not make me unhappy when you should be causing me to rejoice. I was quite sure that all of you [would do what I told you to do in that letter, and because of that] I would be happy and you would be happy, too.

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.

4 I wrote to you [the way I did] because I felt very troubled and distressed about you. I was even crying very much as I wrote. [My purpose in writing was] not in order to make you feel bad, but, instead, in order that you might know how deeply/much I love you.

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.

5 [Now I want to write about the man who] caused all this anguish. [What he did was very wrong, but] I know that it has caused you much more sorrow than it has caused me, because [what he did] has [affected] all of you [to some extent. I say], “to some extent,” [because I do not want to say that he has] done more harm [than he really has done].

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

6 [Since he has now stopped sinning in that way], the punishment that nearly all of you [decided was right for him] has continued long enough.

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

7 So now, instead [of punishing him any longer], you need to forgive him and deal kindly with him. [If you do not forgive him], he may become so sad that he will begin to [think that you will never forgive him] (OR, will stop [believing in Christ]).

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

8 For those reasons, I beg you to [forgive him and accept him into your group again, and by doing that] assure him that you truly love him.

Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him.

9 [I feel sure that you will do as I ask], because when I wrote [severely] to you [before], I did it to test you by finding out whether or not you really would do everything [that I, as your apostle, asked you to do].

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

10 So [since you obeyed what I told you before, I feel sure that now you will obey what I am writing in this letter] and forgive the man, as I have done, because I indeed have forgiven him for the wrong thing that he did. Anything he needed me to forgive him for, I have forgiven, and Christ knows [that I have forgiven him sincerely. I have done that mainly] to help you [so that you and I will again have fellowship with each other, and that you will accept him into your group again].

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,

11 [I want you to forgive him] so that Satan will not be able to take advantage of [the problems among] us [and make the situation worse]. We know very well [LIT] that Satan is always planning to [cause problems among us].

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

12 [I will continue by telling you what I did after I wrote to you from Ephesus city]. I went to Troas [city] in order to [tell people] the message [about] Christ. [When I arrived there], I found [many people] who had been prepared by the Lord [Jesus] [MET] [to listen to what I told them about him].

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

13 But because my fellow believer Titus had not [arrived with a report from you], I still felt very anxious and concerned [about you]. So, [after spending only a short time at Troas], I said goodbye to [the believers who were there] and came [here] to Macedonia [province to find Titus].

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.

14 However, [before I tell you any more about that], I [want to] thank God [for what he is doing. As a great leader of fighting men causes all his prisoners to take part in his victory parade] [MET], God leads us [who are his workers] to always be victorious [over Satan because of our(exc) close relationship with Christ. God causes people to come to] know Jesus Christ as a result of our [(exc) teaching his message. That message is like] [MET] the smell of perfume.

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.

15 [When we(exc) tell God’s message] about Christ, it [spreads out among people] like the smell of perfume. [Those who believe the message that we tell them] are saved {[Jesus Christ] saves them} [from the guilt of their sin. But those who reject that message] will be separated from God [forever].

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

16 To those who [are on the way to hell, our message is like] [MET] a foul smell [because it is about dying] and being separated from God forever. But, to those [on the way to heaven, the message that we teach is like] a pure fragrant smell, [because we tell them] that they will live [forever with God. As we think about that, we think] (no one is able [to do] such important work [for God!]/how can anyone be able [to do] such important work [for God]?) [RHQ] (questioned)

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?

17 [But perhaps God considers us(exc) able], because we do not work/act like so many [others whom you know]. They teach God’s message in a way that [they think people will like, and they think that] people will pay them for teaching that way. We [(exc) certainly do not do that]. On the contrary, [as servants of] Christ, and knowing that God is watching us [(exc)], we teach sincerely [the message that] God sent us to proclaim.

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.