2 And I decided this to myself, not again to come in sorrow unto you,

² for if I make you sorry, then who is he who is making me glad, except he who is made sorry by me?

³ and I wrote to you this same thing, that having come, I may not have sorrow from them of whom it behoved me to have joy, having confidence in you all, that my joy is of you all,

⁴ for out of much tribulation and pressure of heart I wrote to you through many tears, not that ye might be made sorry, but that ye might know the love that I have more abundantly toward you.

⁵ And if any one hath caused sorrow, he hath not caused sorrow to me, but in part, that I may not burden you all;

⁶ sufficient to such a one is this punishment, that [is] by the more part,

⁷ so that, on the contrary, [it is] rather for you to forgive and to comfort, lest by over abundant sorrow such a one may be swallowed up;

⁸ wherefore, I call upon you to confirm love to him,

⁹ for, for this also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether in regard to all things ye are obedient.

¹⁰ And to whom ye forgive anything -- I also; for I also, if I have forgiven anything, to whom I have forgiven [it], because of you -- in the person of Christ -- [I forgive it,]

¹¹ that we may not be over-reached by the Adversary, for of his devices we are not ignorant.

¹² And having come to Troas for the good news of the Christ, and a door to me having been opened in the Lord,

¹³ I have not had rest to my spirit, on my not finding Titus my brother, but having taken leave of them, I went forth to Macedonia;

¹⁴ and to God [are] thanks, who at all times is leading us in triumph in the Christ, and the fragrance of His knowledge He is manifesting through us in every place,

¹⁵ because of Christ a sweet fragrance we are to God, in those being saved, and in those being lost;

¹⁶ to the one, indeed, a fragrance of death to death, and to the other, a fragrance of life to life; and for these things who is sufficient?

¹⁷ for we are not as the many, adulterating the word of God, but as of sincerity -- but as of God; in the presence of God, in Christ we do speak.