2 Corinthians 2

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

But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness.

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

For if I make you sorry, who is he then that makes me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me?

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.

And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all.

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.

For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that all of you should be grieved, but that all of you might know the love (agape) which I have more abundantly unto you.

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.

But if any have caused grief, he has not grieved me, but in part: that I may not burden you all.

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

Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many.

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.

So that contrariwise all of you ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.

8 So I entreat you to assure him of your love.

Wherefore I plead to you that all of you would confirm your love (agape) toward him.

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.

In order to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether all of you be obedient in all things.

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,

To whom all of you forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ;

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

Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

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,

Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord,

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.

I had no rest in my spirit, (pneuma) because I found not Titus my brother: but taking my leave of them, I went from thence into Macedonia.

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.

Now thanks be unto God, which always causes us to triumph in Christ, and makes manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.

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.

For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:

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?

To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?

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.

For we are not as many, which corrupt the word (logos) of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.