1 And I decided this to myself, not again to come in sorrow unto you,

2 for if I make you sorry, then who is he who is making me glad, except he who is made sorry by me?

3 and I wrote to you this same thing, that having come, I may not have sorrow from them of whom it behoved me to have joy, having confidence in you all, that my joy is of you all,

4 for out of much tribulation and pressure of heart I wrote to you through many tears, not that ye might be made sorry, but that ye might know the love that I have more abundantly toward you.

5 And if any one hath caused sorrow, he hath not caused sorrow to me, but in part, that I may not burden you all;

6 sufficient to such a one is this punishment, that `is' by the more part,

7 so that, on the contrary, `it is' rather for you to forgive and to comfort, lest by over abundant sorrow such a one may be swallowed up;

8 wherefore, I call upon you to confirm love to him,

9 for, for this also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether in regard to all things ye are obedient.

10 And to whom ye forgive anything -- I also; for I also, if I have forgiven anything, to whom I have forgiven `it', because of you -- in the person of Christ -- `I forgive it,'

11 that we may not be over-reached by the Adversary, for of his devices we are not ignorant.

12 And having come to Troas for the good news of the Christ, and a door to me having been opened in the Lord,

13 I have not had rest to my spirit, on my not finding Titus my brother, but having taken leave of them, I went forth to Macedonia;

14 and to God `are' thanks, who at all times is leading us in triumph in the Christ, and the fragrance of His knowledge He is manifesting through us in every place,

15 because of Christ a sweet fragrance we are to God, in those being saved, and in those being lost;

16 to the one, indeed, a fragrance of death to death, and to the other, a fragrance of life to life; and for these things who is sufficient?

17 for we are not as the many, adulterating the word of God, but as of sincerity -- but as of God; in the presence of God, in Christ we do speak.