3Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all consolation; 4who consoles us in all our affliction, that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction, by the consolation wherewith we ourselves are consoled by God. 5Because, as the sufferings of Christ abound toward us, so through Christ abounds also our consolation.
6But whether we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective in the endurance of the same sufferings which we also suffer; or whether we are consoled, it is for your consolation and salvation. 7And our hope of you is steadfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so are ye also of the consolation.
8For we would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of our affliction which befell us in Asia, that we were exceedingly oppressed, above our strength, so that we despaired even of life. 9Yea, we ourselves had in ourselves the sentence of death, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; 10who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver; in whom is our hope that he will still deliver; 11ye also helping together on our behalf by your supplication, that for the mercy bestowed on us through many persons, thanks may be given by many on our behalf.
12For our glorying is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom, but in the grace of God, did we deport ourselves in the world, and more abundantly toward you. 13For we write no other things to you, than what ye read or even acknowledge, and I trust ye will acknowledge even to the end; 14as also ye did acknowledge us in part, that we are your glorying, even as ye also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus.
15And in this confidence I was desirous to come to you before, that ye might have a second benefit; 16and to pass by you into Macedonia, and from Macedonia to come again to you, and by you to be brought on my way to Judea. 17When therefore I purposed this, did I act with levity? Or the things that I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be the yea, yea, and the nay, nay? 18But God is faithful, our word to you is not yea and nay. 19For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, by me and Silvanus and Timothy, was not made yea and nay, but has been made yea in him. 20For however many are the promises of God, in him is the yea, and in him the Amen, to the glory of God through us. 21Now he who establishes us with you in Christ, and anointed us, is God; 22he who also sealed us, and gave the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
23But I invoke God for a witness upon my soul, that to spare you I came not yet to Corinth. 24Not that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy; for in faith ye stand fast.
II. And I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in sorrow. 2For if I make you sorry, who then is he that makes me glad, but the same who is made sorry by me? 3And I wrote this very thing to you, that I might not, when I came, have sorrow from those of whom I ought to have 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 that ye might have sorrow, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly toward you.
5But if any has caused sorrow, he has not caused sorrow to me, but in part (that I be not too severe on him) to you all. 6Sufficient for such a one is this punishment, which was inflicted by the many. 7So that, on the contrary, ye ought rather to forgive and console him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. 8Wherefore I beseech you to confirm your love toward him.
9For to this end also I wrote, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye are obedient in all things. 10To whom ye forgive anything, I forgive also; for what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, for your sakes I forgave it in the person of Christ, 11that no advantage might be gained over us by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his devices.
12And when I came to Troas to preach the good news of Christ, and a door was opened to me in the Lord, 13I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother; but taking leave of them, I went forth into Macedonia. 14But thanks be to God, who always causes us to triumph in Christ, and makes manifest by us in every place the savor of the knowledge of him. 15Because we are to God a sweet savor of Christ, in those who are saved, and in those who perish; 16to the one a savor of death unto death, to the other a savor of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? 17For we are not as the many, corrupting the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.