| New King James Version | English Standard Version |
| 1But I determined this within myself, that I would not come again to you in sorrow. | 1For I made up my mind not to make another painful visit to you. |
| 2For if I make you sorrowful, then who is he who makes me glad but the one who is made sorrowful by me? | 2For if I cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have pained? |
| 3And I wrote this very thing to you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow over those from whom I ought to have joy, having confidence in you all that my joy is the joy of you all. | 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. |
| 4For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you, with many tears, not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have so abundantly for you. | 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. |
| 5But if anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved me, but all of you to some extent—not to be too severe. | 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. |
| 6This punishment which was inflicted by the majority is sufficient for such a man, | 6For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, |
| 7so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow. | 7so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. |
| 8Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him. | 8So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. |
| 9For to this end I also wrote, that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things. | 9For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything. |
| 10Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, | 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, |
| 11lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices. | 11so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs. |
| 12Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord, | 12When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord, |
| 13I had no rest in my spirit, because I did not find Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I departed for Macedonia. | 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. |
| 14Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. | 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. |
| 15For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. | 15For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, |
| 16To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things? | 16to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? |
| 17For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ. | 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. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | 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. |
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