2 Kwabasekhorinte 2
1 Ngasengizimisela lokhu, ukungaphindi ngize kini esizini.
I decided that I would not visit you again in grief;
2 Ngoba uba mina ngilibangela usizi, ngubani-ke ongithokozisayo, ngaphandle kobangelwe yimi usizi?
for if I cause you grief, who is there to cause me joy except those whom I have grieved?
3 Njalo ngalibhalela into le efananayo ukuze ekufikeni kwami ngingabi losizi kulabo abamele bangithokozise, ngileqiniso ngani lonke, ukuthi intokozo yami ingeyenu lonke.
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.
4 Ngoba esizini olukhulu lekudabukeni kwenhliziyo ngalibhalela ngezinyembezi ezinengi, kungeyisikho ukuthi libangelwe usizi, kodwa ukuze lazi uthando olwengezelelweyo engilalo kini.
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.
5 Kodwa uba ekhona obange usizi, kabanganga usizi kimi, kodwa nganxanye (ukuze ngingathwalisi nzima) kini lonke.
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).
6 Kumanele onjalo lokhukukhuza okungokwabanengi;
Sufficient for the offender is the punishment imposed by the majority;
7 ukuze endaweni yalokho kungcono lithethelele liduduze, hlezi onjalo aginywe lusizi olwengezelelweyo.
so that now you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest he should be overwhelmed by the excess of his grief.
8 Ngakho ngiyalincenga ukuthi liqinise uthando lwenu kuye.
So I beg you to reinstate him in your love.
9 Ngoba ngenxa yalokhu futhi ngabhala, ukuze ngazi ukuhlolwa kwenu, uba lingabalalelayo ezintweni zonke.
For this very purpose also I wrote you (before), that I might test you, to see if you were obedient in every respect.
10 Lalowo elimthethelela ulutho, lami ngiyamthethelela; ngoba mina uba ngithethelele ulutho, lowo engimthethelelayo, ngikwenza ngenxa yenu phambi kobuso bukaKristu,
If you forgive the man, I forgive him, too; for whatever I have forgiven has been forgiven in the presence of Christ,
11 ukuze singasetshenziswa nguSathane; ngoba kasisibo abangazi ngamaqhinga akhe.
for your sakes, that I may not be overreached by Satan, for I am not ignorant of his devices.
12 Lekufikeni kwami eTrowasi ngevangeli likaKristu, kwathi sengivulelwe umnyango eNkosini,
Now when I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, although a door was opened to me in the Lord,
13 kangibanga lokuphumula emoyeni wami, ngoba angimtholanga uTitosi umzalwane wami; kodwa ngasengivalelisa kubo ngasuka ngaya eMakedoniya.
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.
14 Njalo kabongwe uNkulunkulu osikhokhelayo ngesikhathi sonke ekunqobeni kuKristu, njalo ebonakalisa ngathi iphunga lolwazi lwakhe endaweni zonke.
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.
15 Ngoba siliphunga elimnandi likaKristu kuNkulunkulu kulabo abasindiswayo lakulabo ababhubhayo;
I am Christ’s fragrance upwafted unto God, among those who are being saved and those who are perishing;
16 kulaba iphunga lokufa ekufeni, lakwabanye iphunga elimnandi lempilo empilweni. Njalo ngubani olingene lezizinto?
to these latter an odor of death to death, to the former, of life to life. For such service as this, who is sufficient?
17 Ngoba kasinjengabanengi, abalonayo ilizwi likaNkulunkulu; kodwa njengebuqothweni, njalo njengokuvela kuNkulunkulu, phambi kukaNkulunkulu sikhuluma sikuKristu.
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.
