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)

Nagpasya ako na hindi na ako muling dadalaw sa inyo nang may kalungkutan. Sapagkat kung palulungkutin ko kayo, sino ang magpapasaya sa akin, kundi kayo na pinalungkot ko? Kaya't sumulat ako sa inyo, upang pagdating ko ay hindi ako palungkutin ng mga taong dapat ay magpapasaya sa akin. May tiwala ako sa inyong lahat na masaya kayo kung masaya ako. Sumulat ako sa inyo sa gitna ng matinding paghihirap ng kalooban at pangamba ng puso at kasabay ng maraming pagluha, hindi upang kayo'y palungkutin kundi upang malaman ninyo kung gaano kalaki ang pag-ibig ko sa inyo.

Pagpapatawad sa Nagkasala

Subalit kung may taong naging sanhi ng kalungkutan, hindi ako ang pinalungkot niya, kundi sa katunayan ay kayong lahat—sinasabi ko ito sa paraang hindi kayo masyadong masasaktan. Sapat na para sa taong iyon ang parusang iginawad sa kanya ng nakararami. Sa halip, patawarin ninyo siya at aliwin, upang hindi siya madaig ng labis na kalungkutan. Kaya't nakikiusap ako sa inyo na ipadama ninyong muli ang inyong pag-ibig sa kanya. Ito ang dahilan kung bakit sumulat ako: upang subukin ko at alamin kung kayo nga'y masunurin sa lahat ng mga bagay. 10 Ang sinumang pinapatawad ninyo ay pinapatawad ko rin. Kung may dapat patawarin ay pinatawad ko na, alang-alang sa inyo, sa harapan ni Cristo, 11 upang hindi tayo madaya ni Satanas. Sapagkat alam na alam natin ang kanyang mga binabalak.

Pangamba ni Pablo sa Troas

12 Pagdating (A) ko sa Troas, may pintuang binuksan para sa akin ang Panginoon upang ipangaral ang ebanghelyo ni Cristo. 13 Hindi mapalagay ang aking kalooban, sapagkat hindi ko natagpuan doon ang aking kapatid na si Tito. Kaya't ako'y nagpaalam sa mga kapatid doon at tumuloy sa Macedonia.

14 Ngunit salamat sa Diyos, na siyang laging nagdadala sa atin sa pagtatagumpay kay Cristo, at sa pamamagitan natin ay nagpapalaganap ng samyo ng pagkakilala sa kanya sa bawat dako. 15 Sapagkat kami ang halimuyak ng handog ni Cristo sa Diyos, na nalalanghap ng mga inililigtas at ng mga napapahamak. 16 Para sa isa kami ay halimuyak ng kamatayan na nagdudulot ng kamatayan; at sa isa naman ay halimuyak ng buhay na nagdudulot ng buhay. Sino ang sapat para sa gawaing ito? 17 Sapagkat hindi kami katulad ng marami na gumagamit ng salita ng Diyos para sa sariling pakinabang, kundi bilang mga tapat na sugo ng Diyos, ay nagsasalita kami para kay Cristo sa paningin ng Diyos.

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

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

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.

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.

But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all.

Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many.

So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.

Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him.

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

10 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 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

12 Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord,

13 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 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 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:

16 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 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.