Book of Common Prayer

2 I made up my mind that I would not go to visit you again if I had to make you sad.

² For if I make you sad, who is going to make me glad? No one, but the one I made sad.

³ That is why I wrote the letter. I did not want to come and be made sad by those who should make me glad. I am sure that what makes me glad makes you all glad too.

⁴ When I wrote to you, I was in great trouble and my heart was very heavy. I cried with many tears. I did not want you to be sad, but I just wanted to let you know that I love you very much who made me sad. It was not only me that he made sad. It was every one of you, in a way. I say `in a way' because I do not want to be too strong in what I say.

⁵ That man has been punished enough by what most of you did to him.

⁶ So now, you ought to forgive him and comfort him. If you do not, then he may be so sad he cannot bear it.

⁷ So I beg you, show your love to him again.

⁸ Here is why I wrote to you. I wanted to test you to find out if you obey me in all matters.

⁹ Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. And if I have had anything to forgive, I have already forgiven it for your sakes, just as if we were standing before Christ.

¹⁰ I have done this so that Satan will not get ahead of us. We know his tricks. of Troas to tell the good news of Christ, the door was open for me to work for the Lord.

¹¹ But my mind was troubled because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said goodbye to the people there and went on to the country of Macedonia. Christ. And Christ leads us to victory every time. To know Christ is like a sweet smell. And God lets us carry that sweet smell of his truth everywhere.

¹² We are like a sweet smell to God. It is the smell of Christ we have. We have this sweet smell among the people who are saved and among those who are lost.

¹³ To some it smells like death and brings death to those who are lost. To others it smells like life and it brings life to those who are saved. Who is good enough for such things?

¹⁴ We are not like some people. They tell God's message to make money. But we tell it with a true heart just as God told it to us. We tell it as if we stood before God. And we tell it with Christ's help.

15 The tax collectors and bad people all came close to Jesus to hear him.

² The Pharisees and scribes did not like it. And they said to each other, `This man is glad to have bad people come. He eats with them.'

¹¹ Jesus also said, `A man had two sons.

¹² The younger son said to his father, "Father, give me my part of what will belong to me." So his father divided all he had between the two sons.

¹³ After a few days, the younger son packed up his things. He left home and went to a country far away. There he spent his money in foolish and wrong ways.

¹⁴ He spent everything he had. `There was no food in that country for a long time. He began to be in trouble.

¹⁵ So he went to stay with a man in the country who had a farm. The man sent him out to his farm to feed the pigs.

¹⁶ He would have been glad to eat the food the pigs ate. But no one gave him anything.

¹⁷ `Then he started to get sense. He said, "My father has many men who work for him. They have plenty of food. But here I am dying because I have nothing to eat!

¹⁸ I will get up and go to my father. I will say to him, "Father I have been a bad son. I have done wrong to God in heaven and to you.

¹⁹ I am not good enough now to be called your son. Let me be like one of these men who work for you."

²⁰ `So he got up and went to his father. While he was still far away, his father saw him. He loved him and wanted to share in his troubles. He ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.

²¹ The son said to him, "Father, I have been a bad son. I have done wrong to God in heaven and to you. I am not good enough now to be called your son. Let me be like one of these men who work for you."

²² `But his father said to his servants, "Go quickly and bring the best clothes. Dress him. Put a ring on his hand. Put shoes on his feet.

²³ Bring the fat calf and kill it. Let us have a feast and a good time.

²⁴ This is my son. He was dead and now he is alive again. He was lost and is found." And they began to have a good time.

²⁵ `The older son was out on the farm. When he came home and was near the house, he heard music and dancing.

²⁶ He called one of the servants and said, "What is going on?"

²⁷ The servant said, "Your brother has come home. Your father has killed the fat young cow because your brother is home and he is well."

²⁸ `But the older son was angry. He would not go into the house. His father came out and begged him to come in.

²⁹ But the son said to his father, "Look. I have worked hard for you for many years. I have always done everything you told me to do. And yet you never even gave me a young goat to make a feast with my friends.

³⁰ But now this son of yours has come back. He has spent all your money and was with bad women. And yet you kill the fat calf for him!"

³¹ `The father said, "Son you have always been with me. And all that I have is yours.

³² But now we should have a good time and be happy. Your brother was dead and now he is alive again. He was lost and is found." '