1 But I determined this within myself, that I would not come to you again in grief. 2 For if I make you sorry, who then is he who makes me glad, but the same who has been made sorry by me? 3 And I wrote this to you, lest when I came I should have sorrow from the ones of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all. 4 For out of much trouble and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears, not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have more abundantly to you.
5 But if anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved me, except in part; so that I not overbear all of you. 6 This punishment by the majority is enough for such a one; 7 so that, on the contrary, you should rather forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overwhelming sorrow. 8 So I beseech you to confirm your love toward him. 9 For to this end I also wrote, that I might know the proof of you, whether you are obedient in all things. 10 But to whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if I forgave anything, for your sakes I forgave it to him in the person of Christ; 11 so that we should not be overreached by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his devices.
12 And, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord, 13 I had no rest in my spirit because I did not find Titus my brother. But taking my leave of them, I went from there into Macedonia.
14 Now thanks be to God, who always causes us to triumph in Christ, and He revealing through us the odor of the knowledge of Him in every place. 15 For we are to God a sweet savor of Christ, in those being saved, and in those being lost; 16 to the one we are the savor of death to death, and to the other we are the savor of life to life. And who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not as many, hawking the Word of God; but as of sincerity, but as of God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God.