| Berean Study Bible | NET Bible |
| 1So I made up my mind not to make another painful visit to you. | 1So I made up my own mind not to pay you another painful visit. |
| 2For if I grieve you, who is left to cheer me but those whom I have grieved? | 2For if I make you sad, who would be left to make me glad but the one I caused to be sad? |
| 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. | 3And I wrote this very thing to you, so that when I came I would not have sadness from those who ought to make me rejoice, since I am confident in you all that my joy would be yours. |
| 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. | 4For out of great distress and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears, not to make you sad, but to let you know the love that I have especially for you. |
| 5Now if anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved me but all of you—to some degree, not to overstate it. | 5But if anyone has caused sadness, he has not saddened me alone, but to some extent (not to exaggerate) he has saddened all of you as well. |
| 6The punishment imposed on him by the majority is sufficient for him. | 6This punishment on such an individual by the majority is enough for him, |
| 7So instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. | 7so that now instead you should rather forgive and comfort him. This will keep him from being overwhelmed by excessive grief to the point of despair. |
| 8Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. | 8Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. |
| 9My purpose in writing you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. | 9For this reason also I wrote you: to test you to see if you are obedient in everything. |
| 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, | 10If you forgive anyone for anything, I also forgive him--for indeed what I have forgiven (if I have forgiven anything) I did so for you in the presence of Christ, |
| 11in order that Satan should not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes. | 11so that we may not be exploited by Satan (for we are not ignorant of his schemes). |
| 12Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and a door stood open for me in the Lord, | 12Now when I arrived in Troas to proclaim the gospel of Christ, even though the Lord had opened a door of opportunity for me, |
| 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. | 13I had no relief in my spirit, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said good-bye to them and set out for Macedonia. |
| 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. | 14But thanks be to God who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and who makes known through us the fragrance that consists of the knowledge of him in every place. |
| 15For we are to God the sweet aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. | 15For we are a sweet aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing-- |
| 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? | 16to the latter an odor from death to death, but to the former a fragrance from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? |
| 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. | 17For we are not like so many others, hucksters who peddle the word of God for profit, but we are speaking in Christ before God as persons of sincerity, as persons sent from God. |
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