1 B ut I definitely made up my mind not to grieve you with another painful and distressing visit.

But I determined this for myself, that I would not come again to you with sorrow.

2 F or if I cause you pain, who is there to provide me enjoyment but the one whom I have grieved and made sad?

For if I make you sorry, who then is he that maketh me glad but he that is made sorry by me?

3 A nd I wrote the same to you so that when I came, I might not be myself pained by those who are the ones who ought to make me glad, for I trusted in you all and felt confident that my joy would be shared by all of you.

And I wrote this very thing, 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 F or I wrote you out of great sorrow and deep distress of heart, with many tears, not to cause you pain but in order to make you realize the overflowing love that I continue increasingly to have for you.

For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be made sorry, but that ye might know the love that I have more abundantly unto you.

5 B ut if someone has caused grief and pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure, not to put it too severely, all of you.

But if any hath caused sorrow, he hath caused sorrow, not to me, but in part (that I press not too heavily) to you all.

6 F or such a one this censure by the majority sufficient.

Sufficient to such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by the many;

7 S o you should rather turn and forgive and comfort and encourage, to keep him from being overwhelmed by excessive sorrow and despair.

so that contrariwise ye should rather forgive him and comfort him, lest by any means such a one should be swallowed up with his overmuch sorrow.

8 I therefore beg you to reinstate him in your affections and assure him of your love for him;

Wherefore I beseech you to confirm your love toward him.

9 F or this was my purpose in writing you, to test your attitude and see if you would stand the test, whether you are obedient and altogether agreeable in everything.

For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye are obedient in all things.

10 I f you forgive anyone anything, I too forgive that one; and what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sakes in the presence of Christ (the Messiah),

But to whom ye forgive anything, I forgive also: for what I also have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, for your sakes have I forgiven it in the presence of Christ;

11 T o keep Satan from getting the advantage over us; for we are not ignorant of his wiles and intentions.

that no advantage may be gained over us by Satan: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

12 N ow when I arrived at Troas the good news (the Gospel) of Christ, a door of opportunity was opened for me in the Lord,

Now when I came to Troas for the gospel of Christ, and when a door was opened unto me in the Lord,

13 Y et my spirit could not rest (relax, get relief) because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave from them and departed for Macedonia.

I had no relief for my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother: but taking my leave of them, I went forth into Macedonia.

14 B ut thanks be to God, Who in Christ always leads us in triumph and through us spreads and makes evident the fragrance of the knowledge of God everywhere,

But thanks be unto God, who always leadeth us in triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest through us the savor of his knowledge in every place.

15 F or we are the sweet fragrance of Christ unto God, among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing:

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

16 T o the latter it is an aroma from death to death; to the former it is an aroma from life to life. And who is qualified (fit and sufficient) for these things?

to the one a savor from death unto death; to the other a savor from life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?

17 F or we are not, like so many, peddling God’s Word; but like of sincerity and the purest motive, as by God, we speak in Christ (the Messiah), in the sight and presence of God.

For we are not as the many, corrupting the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God, speak we in Christ.