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

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

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 is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which 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 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 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 grieved, but that ye might know the love which 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 have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all.

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

Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of 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 ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with 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 that ye would 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 be 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),

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

Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: 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,

Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened unto me of 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 rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother: but taking my leave of them, I went from thence 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,

Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by 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 unto God a sweet savour of Christ, 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 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 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 many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.