But I determined this for myself, that I would not come again to you with sorrow. ²For if I make you sorry, who then is he that maketh me glad but he that is made sorry by me? ³And I wrote this very thing, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; 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 unto you with many tears; not that ye should be made sorry, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you.

⁵But if any hath caused sorrow, he hath caused sorrow, not to me, but in part (that I press not too heavily) to you all. ⁶Sufficient to such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by the many; ⁷so that contrariwise ye should rather forgive him and comfort him, lest by any means such a one should be swallowed up with his overmuch sorrow. ⁸Wherefore I beseech you to confirm your love toward him. ⁹For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye are obedient in all things. ¹⁰But to whom ye forgive anything, I forgive also: for what I also have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, for your sakes have I forgiven it in the presence of Christ; ¹¹that no advantage may be gained over us by Satan: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

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