2 Corinthians 2

1 So I made up my mind that I would not come to you again in sorrow.

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

2 For if I make you sorrowful, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have made sorrowful?

If it is I who cause you pain, why, who is there to cheer me, except the person whom I am paining?

3 That is why I wrote to you as I did, so that when I came I would not have sorrow from those who ought to make me rejoice. I had confidence about you all that my joy would be yours.

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 I wrote to you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you sorrow, but to let you know the abundant love I have for 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 Now if anyone has caused sorrow, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure (not to put it too severely) to all of you.

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 This punishment by the majority is enough for that person.

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

7 So you should forgive and comfort him instead, so that he will not be overwhelmed with excessive sorrow.

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 Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him.

So I entreat you to assure him of your love.

9 I wrote to you because I wanted to test your character and see if you would be obedient in everything.

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 Now if you forgive anyone of anything, I also forgive him. For if I have forgiven anyone of anything, I have done it for your sakes in the presence 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 so that we might not be exploited by Satan. For we are not ignorant of his schemes.

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

12 Now when I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, a door was opened for me in 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 But I had no rest in my spirit because I did not find my brother Titus. So I took leave of the people there and went on to 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 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ everywhere.

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 we are a sweet fragrance of Christ ascending to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing;

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 latter we are a smell of death leading to death, but to the former we are a fragrance of life leading to life. And who is equal to such a task?

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 we are not like others who peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak with sincerity in the presence of God, as men sent from God.

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.