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

But I have judged this with myself, not to come back to you in grief.

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 grieve you, who also it that gladdens me, if not he that is grieved through 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 have written this very, that coming I may not have grief from those from whom I ought to have joy; trusting in you all that my joy is 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 tribulation and distress of heart I wrote to you, with many tears; not that ye may be grieved, but that ye may know the love which I have very abundantly towards 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 one has grieved, he has grieved, not me, but in part (that I may not overcharge ) all of you.

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

Sufficient to such a one this rebuke which 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 on the contrary ye should rather shew grace and encourage, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with excessive grief.

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

Wherefore I exhort you to assure him of love.

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 I have written, that I might know, by putting you to the test, if as to everything ye are obedient.

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 also; for I also, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, for your sakes in person of Christ;

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

that we might not have Satan get an advantage against us, for we are not ignorant of his thoughts.

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 glad tidings of the Christ, a door also being opened to me in 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 rest in my spirit at not finding Titus my brother; but bidding them adieu, I came away to 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 to God, who always leads us in triumph in the Christ, and makes manifest the odour of his knowledge through us 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 odour of Christ to God, in the saved and in those 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 an odour from death unto death, but to the others an odour from life unto life; and who 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 do not, as the many, make a trade of the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as of God, before God, we speak in Christ.