| New Living Translation | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1So I decided that I would not bring you grief with another painful visit. | 1But I determined this for my own sake, that I would not come to you in sorrow again. |
| 2For if I cause you grief, who will make me glad? Certainly not someone I have grieved. | 2For if I cause you sorrow, who then makes me glad but the one whom I made sorrowful? |
| 3That is why I wrote to you as I did, so that when I do come, I won’t be grieved by the very ones who ought to give me the greatest joy. Surely you all know that my joy comes from your being joyful. | 3This is the very thing I wrote you, so that when I came, I would not have sorrow from those who ought to make me rejoice; having confidence in you all that my joy would be the joy of you all. |
| 4I wrote that letter in great anguish, with a troubled heart and many tears. I didn’t want to grieve you, but I wanted to let you know how much love I have for you. Forgiveness for the Sinner | 4For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears; not so that you would be made sorrowful, but that you might know the love which I have especially for you. |
| 5I am not overstating it when I say that the man who caused all the trouble hurt all of you more than he hurt me. | 5But if any has caused sorrow, he has caused sorrow not to me, but in some degree-- in order not to say too much-- to all of you. |
| 6Most of you opposed him, and that was punishment enough. | 6Sufficient for such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by the majority, |
| 7Now, however, it is time to forgive and comfort him. Otherwise he may be overcome by discouragement. | 7so that on the contrary you should rather forgive and comfort him, otherwise such a one might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. |
| 8So I urge you now to reaffirm your love for him. | 8Wherefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. |
| 9I wrote to you as I did to test you and see if you would fully comply with my instructions. | 9For to this end also I wrote, so that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things. |
| 10When you forgive this man, I forgive him, too. And when I forgive whatever needs to be forgiven, I do so with Christ’s authority for your benefit, | 10But one whom you forgive anything, I forgive also; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ, |
| 11so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes. | 11so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes. |
| 12When I came to the city of Troas to preach the Good News of Christ, the Lord opened a door of opportunity for me. | 12Now when I came to Troas for the gospel of Christ and when a door was opened for me in the Lord, |
| 13But I had no peace of mind because my dear brother Titus hadn’t yet arrived with a report from you. So I said good-bye and went on to Macedonia to find him. Ministers of the New Covenant | 13I had no rest for my spirit, not finding Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I went on to Macedonia. |
| 14But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. | 14But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. |
| 15Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. | 15For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; |
| 16To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this? | 16to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? |
| 17You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ’s authority, knowing that God is watching us. | 17For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God. |
| Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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