1So I made up my mind not to come to you again in sorrow.
2For if I make you sad, who is left to make me glad? Only the one I have made sad.
3That is why I wrote to you as I did. I did not want to come and be made sad by the very people who ought to make me glad. I am sure of you all, that my joy is the joy of you all.
4I wrote to you out of great trouble and pain of heart, and with many tears. I did not write to make you sad, but to let you know how deep my love for you is.
5If anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved me only, but in part all of you. I say this so I do not put too heavy a charge on you all.
6The punishment that many of you gave such a man is enough for him.
7So now, instead, you ought to forgive him and comfort him. Otherwise he may be swallowed up by too much sorrow.
8So I beg you to show him clearly that you love him.
9This is also why I wrote: to test you and see whether you would obey in everything.
10If you forgive anyone anything, I forgive him too. And what I have forgiven, I forgave for your sake, as one who stands in the place of Christ,
11so that Satan would not get the better of us. For we know his tricks.
12When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, the Lord opened a door for me there.
13But I had no rest in my spirit, because I did not find my brother Titus. So I said goodbye to them and went on from there into Macedonia.
14Thanks be to God, who always leads us in victory in Christ. Through us he spreads everywhere the sweet smell of the knowledge of himself.
15For we are to God the sweet smell of Christ, among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.
16To the one we are the smell of death, leading to death; to the other, the smell of life, leading to life. And who is able to do such things?
17For we are not like the many who spoil the word of God for gain. We speak in Christ with a pure heart, as sent from God, in the sight of God.