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¹ But I determined this for myself, that I would not come to you again in sorrow. ² For if I make you sorry, then who will make me glad but he who is made sorry by me? ³ And I wrote this very thing to you, so that, when I came, I wouldn't have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is of you all. ⁴ For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears, not that you should be made sorry, but that you might know the love that I have so abundantly for you.

⁵ But if any has caused sorrow, he has caused sorrow, not to me, but in part (that I not press too heavily) to you all. ⁶ Sufficient to such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by the many; ⁷ so that on the contrary you should rather forgive him and comfort him, lest by any means such a one should be swallowed up with his excessive sorrow. ⁸ Therefore I beg you to confirm your love toward him. ⁹ For to this end I also wrote, that I might know the proof of you, whether you are obedient in all things. ¹⁰ Now I also forgive whomever you forgive anything. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, ¹¹ that no advantage may be gained over us by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his schemes.

¹² Now when I came to Troas for the gospel of Christ, and when a door was opened to me in the Lord, ¹³ I had no relief for my spirit, because I didn't find Titus, my brother, but taking my leave of them, I went forth into Macedonia. ¹⁴ But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and reveals through us the sweet aroma of his knowledge in every place. ¹⁵ For we are a sweet aroma of Christ to God, in those who are saved, and in those who perish; ¹⁶ to the one a stench from death to death; to the other a sweet aroma from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? ¹⁷ For we are not as so many, peddling the word of God. But as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God, we speak in Christ.