| English Standard Version | International Standard Version |
| 1For I made up my mind not to make another painful visit to you. | 1Now I decided not to pay you another painful visit. |
| 2For if I cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have pained? | 2After all, if I were to grieve you, who should make me happy but the person I am making sad? |
| 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. | 3This 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. |
| 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. | 4I 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. |
| 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. | 5But 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. |
| 6For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, | 6This punishment by the majority is severe enough for such a man. |
| 7so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. | 7So forgive and comfort him, or else he will drown in his excessive grief. |
| 8So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. | 8That's why I'm urging you to assure him of your love. |
| 9For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything. | 9I had also written to you to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in every way. |
| 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, | 10When 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, |
| 11so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs. | 11so that we may not be outsmarted by Satan. After all, we are not unaware of his intentions. |
| 12When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord, | 12When I went to Troas on behalf of the gospel of the Messiah, the Lord opened a door for me, |
| 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. | 13but 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. |
| 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! He always leads us triumphantly by the Messiah and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of knowing him. |
| 15For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, | 15To God we are the aroma of the Messiah among those who are being saved and among those who are being lost. |
| 16to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? | 16To some people we are a deadly fragrance, while to others we are a living fragrance. Who is qualified for this? |
| 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. | 17At 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. |
| 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 Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
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