| English Standard Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1For I made up my mind not to make another painful visit to you. | 1So I made up my mind not to make another painful visit to you. |
| 2For if I cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have pained? | 2For if I grieve you, who is left to cheer me but those whom I have grieved? |
| 3And 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. | 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. |
| 4For I wrote to 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. | 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. |
| 5Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you. | 5Now if anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved me but all of you—to some degree, not to overstate it. |
| 6For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, | 6The punishment imposed on him by the majority is sufficient for him. |
| 7so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. | 7So instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. |
| 8So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. | 8Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. |
| 9For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything. | 9My purpose in writing you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. |
| 10Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, | 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, |
| 11so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs. | 11in order that Satan should not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes. |
| 12When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord, | 12Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and a door stood open for me in the Lord, |
| 13my spirit was not at rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia. | 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. |
| 14But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. | 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. |
| 15For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, | 15For we are to God the sweet aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. |
| 16to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? | 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? |
| 17For 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. | 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. |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | The Berean Bible (Berean Study Bible (BSB) © 2016, 2018 by Bible Hub and Berean.Bible. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. |
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