| Berean Study Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1So I made up my mind not to make another painful visit to you. | 1In fact, I made up my mind about this: I would not come to you on another painful visit. |
| 2For if I grieve you, who is left to cheer me but those whom I have grieved? | 2For if I cause you pain, then who will cheer me other than the one being hurt by me? |
| 3I wrote as I did so that on my arrival I would not be saddened by those who ought to make me rejoice. I had confidence in all of you, that you would share my joy. | 3I 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 about all of you that my joy will also be yours. |
| 4For through many tears I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart, not to grieve you but to let you know how much I love you. | 4For 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. |
| 5Now if anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved me but all of you—to some degree, not to overstate it. | 5If anyone has caused pain, he has caused pain not so much to me but to some degree--not to exaggerate--to all of you. |
| 6The punishment imposed on him by the majority is sufficient for him. | 6The punishment inflicted by the majority is sufficient for that person. |
| 7So instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. | 7As a result, you should instead forgive and comfort him. Otherwise, this one may be overwhelmed by excessive grief. |
| 8Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. | 8Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him. |
| 9My purpose in writing you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. | 9I wrote for this purpose: to test your character to see if you are obedient in everything. |
| 10If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And if I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven it in the presence of Christ for your sake, | 10If 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. |
| 11in order that Satan should not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes. | 11I have done this so that we may not be taken advantage of by Satan. For we are not ignorant of his schemes. |
| 12Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and a door stood open for me in the Lord, | 12When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, the Lord opened a door for me. |
| 13I had no peace in my spirit, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia. | 13I had no rest in my spirit because I did not find my brother Titus, but I said good-bye to them and left for Macedonia. |
| 14But thanks be to God, who always leads us triumphantly as captives in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. | 14But thanks be to God, who always puts us on display in Christ and through us spreads the aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. |
| 15For we are to God the sweet aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. | 15For to God we are the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. |
| 16To the one, we are an odor of death and demise; to the other, a fragrance that brings life. And who is qualified for such a task? | 16To some we are an aroma of death leading to death, but to others, an aroma of life leading to life. And who is competent for this? |
| 17For we are not like so many others, who peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as men sent from God. | 17For we are not like the many who market God's message for profit. On the contrary, we speak with sincerity in Christ, as from God and before God. |
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