2:1 For I made up my mind not to make you another painful visit.
2:1 So I made up my mind not to make you another painful visit.

2:2 For if I cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have pained?
2:2 For if I cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have pained?

2:3 And I wrote as I did, so that when I came I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice, for I felt sure of all of you, that my joy would be the joy of you all.
2:3 And I wrote as I did, so that when I came, I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice; for I am confident about all of you, that my joy would be the joy of all of you.

2:4 For I wrote you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.
2:4 For I wrote you out of much distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain, but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.

2:5 But if any one has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure --not to put it too severely -- to you all.
2:5 But if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but to some extent--not to exaggerate it--to all of you.

2:6 For such a one this punishment by the majority is enough;
2:6 This punishment by the majority is enough for such a person;

2:7 so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.
2:7 so now instead you should forgive and console him, so that he may not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.

2:8 So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him.
2:8 So I urge you to reaffirm your love for him.

2:9 For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything.
2:9 I wrote for this reason: to test you and to know whether you are obedient in everything.

2:10 Any one whom you forgive, I also forgive. What I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ,
2:10 Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. What I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ.

2:11 to keep Satan from gaining the advantage over us; for we are not ignorant of his designs.
2:11 And we do this so that we may not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.

2:12 When I came to Tro'as to preach the gospel of Christ, a door was opened for me in the Lord;
2:12 When I came to Troas to proclaim the good news of Christ, a door was opened for me in the Lord;

2:13 but my mind could not rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedo'nia.
2:13 but my mind could not rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said farewell to them and went on to Macedonia.

2:14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumph, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.
2:14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads in every place the fragrance that comes from knowing him.

2:15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing,
2:15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing;

2:16 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?
2:16 to the one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?

2:17 For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word; but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.
2:17 For we are not peddlers of God's word like so many; but in Christ we speak as persons of sincerity, as persons sent from God and standing in his presence.