New Testament · Easy read · 2 Corinthians
2 Corinthians 2
1But I decided this for myself, that I would not come to you again in sorrow.
2For if I cause you sorrow, who then is to make me glad but the one I made sorrowful?
3This is the very thing I wrote you, so that when I came I would not have sorrow from those who ought to give me joy, having confidence in you all that my joy is the joy of you all.
4For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears; not to cause you sorrow but to make you know the love which I have especially for you.
5But if anyone has caused sorrow, he has not caused me sorrow so much as he has caused sorrow to you all — to some degree, not to be overly severe.
6Sufficient for such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by the majority;
7so that on the contrary you should rather forgive and comfort him, otherwise such a one might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.
8Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him.
9For to this end also I wrote, so that I might put you to the test — whether you are obedient in all things.
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 Messiah,
11so that no advantage would be taken of us by adversary, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.
12Now when I came to Troas for the good news of Messiah and when a door was opened for me in the Lord,
13I had no rest for my spirit, not finding Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I went on to Macedonia.
14But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Messiah and manifests through us the fragrance of the knowledge of Him in every place.
15For we are a fragrance of Messiah to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing;
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?
17For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Messiah in the sight of God.