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 my next visit to you should not be in sorrow.

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 sorrowful, who is there to make me glad but he that is made sorrowful 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 about this very matter, that I might not on my coming have sorrow from those who ought to gladden me, having confidence in all of you, 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 distress and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears, not that ye should be made sorrowful, but that ye might know the exceeding love which I have for 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 one hath caused grief, he hath caused it not to me alone, but in a measure, not to be too severe on him, to all of you.

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

Sufficient for such a one is this punishment, which was inflicted by the 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 on the contrary ye ought rather to forgive, and console 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 beseech you to confirm your love 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.

For to this end also I wrote, that I might know by putting it to the proof, whether ye are 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,

But to whom ye forgive anything, I forgive also; for what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, for your sakes I forgave 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.

that Satan might not gain an advantage over 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,

Now when I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, and a door had been opened to me by 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, because I found not Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I went forth 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.

But thanks be to God, who always exhibiteth us in triumph in Christ, and manifesteth through us the odor of the knowledge of him 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 to God a sweet odor of Christ among those who are being saved, and those who are perishing;

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 latter we are the odor of death, producing death; and to the former the odor of life, producing 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 the many, who adulterate the word of God; but as from sincerity, but as from God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.