For I made up my mind (A)not to make another painful visit to you. For (B)if I cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have pained? And I wrote as I did, so that when I came I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice, (C)for I felt sure of all of you, that my joy would be the joy of you all. For (D)I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.

Forgive the Sinner

Now (E)if anyone has caused pain, (F)he has caused it not to me, but (G)in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you. For such a one, (H)this punishment by the majority is enough, so (I)you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. For this is why I wrote, that I might (J)test you and know (K)whether you are obedient in everything. 10 Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, 11 so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for (L)we are not ignorant of his designs.

Triumph in Christ

12 When (M)I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though (N)a door was opened for me in the Lord, 13 my spirit (O)was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia.

14 But (P)thanks be to God, who in Christ always (Q)leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads (R)the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among (S)those who are being saved and among (T)those who are perishing, 16 (U)to one a fragrance from death to death, (V)to the other a fragrance from life to life. (W)Who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.

So gar I decided krinō this houtos within myself emautou, not to come erchomai to pros you hymeis again palin with en sorrow lypē. For gar if ei I egō cause you hymeis sorrow lypeō, then kai who tis is there ho to make me egō glad euphrainō except ei mē the ho one made sorrowful lypeō by ek me egō? And kai I wrote graphō this houtos very thing autos so that hina when I came erchomai, I would echō not have echō sorrow lypē from apo those hos who ought dei to make me egō rejoice chairō, having confidence peithō in epi you hymeis all pas that hoti · ho my emos joy chara would be eimi the joy of you hymeis all pas. For gar out ek of much polys distress thlipsis and kai anguish synochē of heart kardia I wrote graphō to you hymeis, with dia many polys tears dakryon, not ou to hina cause you sorrow lypeō but alla to hina let you know ginōskō the ho love agapē that hos I have echō especially perissoterōs for eis you hymeis. But de if ei anyone tis has caused sorrow lypeō, he has caused sorrow lypeō not ou for me egō, but alla in apo some measure meros not to hina overstate the case epibareō—for all pas of you hymeis. This houtos punishment epitimia on ho such a person toioutos · ho · ho by hypo the ho majority polys is enough hikanos for him, so that hōste you hymeis should rather mallon forgive charizomai and kai console parakaleō him, lest mē pōs he toioutos be swallowed up katapinō by ho excessive perissoteros sorrow lypē. · ho So dio I urge parakaleō you hymeis to show that your love agapē for eis him autos is real kyroō. For eis this houtos reason also kai I wrote graphō you: to hina discover ginōskō whether you hymeis could · ho stand the test dokimē if ei in eis everything pas you are eimi obedient hypēkoos. 10 Now de the one to whom hos you forgive charizomai anything tis, I also kagō do the same; for gar indeed kai, what hos I egō have forgiven charizomai if ei I have forgiven charizomai anything tis—I did so for dia your hymeis benefit in en the presence prosōpon of Christ Christos, 11 lest hina mē we be taken advantage pleonekteō of by hypo · ho Satan Satanas; for gar we are agnoeō not ou unaware of agnoeō his autos · ho intentions noēma.

12 When I came erchomai · de to eis · ho Troas Trōias to eis proclaim the ho gospel euangelion of ho Christ Christos, even kai though anoigō a door thura had been opened anoigō for me egō by en the Lord kyrios, 13 I had echō no ou relief anesis for ho my egō spirit pneuma, · ho because I egō could not find heuriskō my egō brother adelphos Titus Titos · ho there. So alla I said good-bye apotassō to them autos and went exerchomai on to eis Macedonia Makedonia. 14 But de thanks charis be to ho God theos, who ho is always pantote leading thriambeuō us hēmeis in triumph in en · ho Christ Christos, and kai through dia us hēmeis is making known phaneroō the ho fragrance osmē of the ho knowledge gnōsis of him autos in en every pas place topos. 15 For hoti we are eimi an aroma euōdia of Christ Christos to ho God theos among en those ho who are being saved sōzō. · kai Among en those ho who are perishing apollymi 16 we are a deadly ek fume osmē that eis kills thanatos, but de to the former hos we are a life-giving ek fragrance osmē that eis brings life zōē. And kai who tis is adequate hikanos for pros ministry like this houtos? 17 For gar we are eimi not ou like hōs · ho so many polys, peddling kapēleuō the ho word logos of ho God theos. To the contrary alla, in en Christ Christos we speak laleō in the sight katenanti of God theos as hōs men of ek sincerity eilikrineia, as hōs men sent from ek God theos.

Paul Urges Forgiveness

But I determined this within myself, (A)that I would not come again to you in sorrow. For if I make you (B)sorrowful, then who is he who makes me glad but the one who is made sorrowful by me?

Forgive the Offender

And I wrote this very thing to you, lest, when I came, (C)I should have sorrow over those from whom I ought to have joy, (D)having confidence in you all that my joy is the joy of you all. For out of much [a]affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you, with many tears, (E)not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have so abundantly for you.

But (F)if anyone has caused grief, he has not (G)grieved me, but all of you to some extent—not to be too severe. This punishment which was inflicted (H)by the majority is sufficient for such a man, (I)so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow. Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him. For to this end I also wrote, that I might put you to the test, whether you are (J)obedient in all things. 10 Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For [b]if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, 11 lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.

Triumph in Christ

12 Furthermore, (K)when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and (L)a [c]door was opened to me by the Lord, 13 (M)I had no rest in my spirit, because I did not find Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I departed for Macedonia.

14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us [d]diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ (N)among those who are being saved and (O)among those who are perishing. 16 (P)To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And (Q)who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not, as [e]so many, (R)peddling[f] the word of God; but as (S)of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 2:4 tribulation
  2. 2 Corinthians 2:10 NU indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes
  3. 2 Corinthians 2:12 Opportunity
  4. 2 Corinthians 2:14 manifests
  5. 2 Corinthians 2:17 M the rest
  6. 2 Corinthians 2:17 adulterating for gain