The Change In Paul's Plans
2 For if I cause you grief [by a well-deserved rebuke], who then provides me enjoyment but the very one whom I have made sad?
2 For if I make you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me?
2 After all, if I were to grieve you, who should make me happy but the person I am making sad?
3 And I (a)wrote this same thing to you, so that when I came, I would not be filled with sorrow by those who ought to make me glad, for I trusted in you and felt confident that my joy would be shared by all of you.
3 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.
3 This is the very thing I (C)wrote you, so that (D)when I came, I would not have sorrow from those who ought to make me rejoice; having (E)confidence in you all that my joy would be the joy of you all.
3 I wrote this very thing so that when I came I wouldn’t have pain from those who ought to give me joy, because I am confident(A) about all of you that my joy will also be yours.
3 This is the very reason I wrote you, so that when I did come I might not be made sad by those who should have made me happy. For I had confidence that all of you would share the joy that I have.
4 For I wrote to you out of great distress and with an anguished heart, and with many tears, not to cause you sorrow but to make you realize the [overflowing] love which I have especially for you.
4 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.
4 For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I (F)wrote to you with many tears; not so that you would be made sorrowful, but that you might know the love which I have especially for you.
4 For I wrote to you with many tears out of an extremely troubled and anguished heart—not that you should be hurt, but that you should know the abundant love I have for you.
4 I wrote to you out of great sorrow and anguish of heart along with many tears not to make you sad but to let you know how much love I have for you.
Forgive And Comfort The Offender
5 But if (b)someone has caused [all this] sorrow, he has caused it not to me, but in some degree—not to put it too severely—[he has distressed and grieved] all of you.
5 But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all.
5 But (G)if any has caused sorrow, he has caused sorrow not to me, but in some degree—(b)in order not to say too much—to all of you.
5 If anyone has caused pain, he has caused pain not so much to me but to some degree—not to exaggerate(B)—to all of you.
5 But if anyone has caused grief, he didn't cause me any grief. To some extent I don't want to emphasize this too much it has affected all of you.
7 so instead [of further rebuke, now] you should rather [graciously] forgive and comfort and encourage him, to keep him from being overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.
7 So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.
7 so that on the contrary you should rather (I)forgive and comfort him, otherwise such a one might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.
7 As a result, you should instead forgive(C) and comfort him. Otherwise, this one may be overwhelmed by excessive grief.
7 So forgive and comfort him, or else he will drown in his excessive grief.
9 For this was my purpose in writing, to see if you would stand the test, whether you are obedient and committed to following my instruction in all things.
9 For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things.
9 For to this end also (J)I wrote, so that I might (c)(K)put you to the test, whether you are (L)obedient in all things.
9 I had also written to you to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in every way.
10 If you forgive anyone anything, I too forgive [that one]; and what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of [and with the approval of] Christ,
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;
10 But one whom you forgive anything, I forgive also; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes (M)in the presence of Christ,
10 If you forgive anyone, I do too. For what I have forgiven—if I have forgiven anything—it is for you in the presence of Christ.
10 When you forgive someone, I do, too. Indeed, what I have forgiven if there was anything to forgive I did in the presence of the Messiah for your benefit,
11 to keep Satan from taking advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his schemes.
11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
11 so that no advantage would be taken of us by (N)Satan, for (O)we are not ignorant of his schemes.
11 I have done this so that we may not be taken advantage(F) of by Satan. For we are not ignorant of his schemes.
11 so that we may not be outsmarted by Satan. After all, we are not unaware of his intentions.
Triumphant Ministry In Christ
12 Now when I arrived at Troas to preach the good news of Christ, even though a door [of opportunity] opened for me in the Lord,
12 Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord,
12 Now when I came to (P)Troas for the (Q)gospel of Christ and when a (R)door was opened for me in the Lord,
12 When I went to Troas on behalf of the gospel of the Messiah, the Lord opened a door for me,
13 my spirit could not rest because I did not find my brother Titus there; so saying goodbye to them, I left for Macedonia.
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.
13 I (S)had no rest for my spirit, not finding (T)Titus my brother; but (U)taking my leave of them, I went on to (V)Macedonia.
13 I had no rest(I) in my spirit because I did not find my brother Titus,(J) but I said good-bye to them and left for Macedonia.(K)
13 but my spirit could not find any relief, because I couldn't find Titus, my brother. So I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia.
A Ministry Of Life Or Death
14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us spreads and makes evident everywhere the sweet fragrance of the knowledge of Him.
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.
14 (W)But thanks be to God, who always (X)leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the (Y)sweet aroma of the (Z)knowledge of Him in every place.
14 But thanks be to God,(L) who always puts us on display(d) in Christ(e) and through us spreads the aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.(M)
14 But thanks be to God! He always leads us triumphantly by the Messiah and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of knowing him.
15 For we are the sweet fragrance of Christ [which ascends] to God, [discernible both] among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing;
15 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:
15 For we are a (AA)fragrance of Christ to God among (AB)those who are being saved and among those who are perishing;
15 For to God we are the fragrance(N) of Christ among those who are being saved(O) and among those who are perishing.(P)
15 To God we are the aroma of the Messiah among those who are being saved and among those who are being lost.
16 to the latter one an aroma from death to death [a fatal, offensive odor], but to the other an aroma from life to life [a vital fragrance, living and fresh]. And who is adequate and sufficiently qualified for these things?
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?
16 (AC)to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is (AD)adequate for these things?
16 To some we are an aroma of death(Q) leading to death, but to others, an aroma of life(R) leading to life. And who is competent for this?
16 To some people we are a deadly fragrance, while to others we are a living fragrance. Who is qualified for this?
17 For we are not like many, [acting like merchants] peddling God’s word [shortchanging and adulterating God’s message]; but from pure [uncompromised] motives, as [commissioned and sent] from God, we speak [His message] in Christ in the sight of God.
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.
17 For we are not like many, (d)(AE)peddling the word of God, but (AF)as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ (AG)in the sight of God.
17 For we are not like the many(f) who market God’s message(S) for profit. On the contrary, we speak with sincerity in Christ, as from God and before God.
17 At least we are not commercializing God's word like so many others. Instead, we speak with sincerity in the Messiah's name, like people who are sent from God and are accountable to God.