So I made up my mind that I would not make another painful visit to you.(A) For if I grieve you,(B) who is left to make me glad but you whom I have grieved? I wrote as I did,(C) so that when I came I would not be distressed(D) by those who should have made me rejoice. I had confidence(E) in all of you, that you would all share my joy. For I wrote you(F) out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you.

Forgiveness for the Offender

If anyone has caused grief,(G) he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you to some extent—not to put it too severely. The punishment(H) inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him,(I) so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. Another reason I wrote you(J) was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything.(K) 10 Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, 11 in order that Satan(L) might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.(M)

Ministers of the New Covenant

12 Now when I went to Troas(N) to preach the gospel of Christ(O) and found that the Lord had opened a door(P) for me, 13 I still had no peace of mind,(Q) because I did not find my brother Titus(R) there. So I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia.(S)

14 But thanks be to God,(T) who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma(U) of the knowledge(V) of him everywhere. 15 For we are to God the pleasing aroma(W) of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.(X) 16 To the one we are an aroma that brings death;(Y) to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task?(Z) 17 Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit.(AA) On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity,(AB) as those sent from God.(AC)

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We have sinned,(A) even as our ancestors(B) did;
    we have done wrong and acted wickedly.(C)
When our ancestors were in Egypt,
    they gave no thought(D) to your miracles;
they did not remember(E) your many kindnesses,
    and they rebelled by the sea,(F) the Red Sea.[a]
Yet he saved them(G) for his name’s sake,(H)
    to make his mighty power(I) known.
He rebuked(J) the Red Sea, and it dried up;(K)
    he led them through(L) the depths as through a desert.
10 He saved them(M) from the hand of the foe;(N)
    from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them.(O)
11 The waters covered(P) their adversaries;
    not one of them survived.
12 Then they believed his promises
    and sang his praise.(Q)

13 But they soon forgot(R) what he had done
    and did not wait for his plan to unfold.(S)
14 In the desert(T) they gave in to their craving;
    in the wilderness(U) they put God to the test.(V)
15 So he gave them(W) what they asked for,
    but sent a wasting disease(X) among them.

16 In the camp they grew envious(Y) of Moses
    and of Aaron, who was consecrated to the Lord.
17 The earth opened(Z) up and swallowed Dathan;(AA)
    it buried the company of Abiram.(AB)
18 Fire blazed(AC) among their followers;
    a flame consumed the wicked.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 106:7 Or the Sea of Reeds; also in verses 9 and 22

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