1. So I decided that my next visit to you would not be another visit to make you sad.
2. If I make you sad, who will make me happy? Only you can make me happy—you whom I made sad.
3. I wrote you a letter for this reason: that when I came to you I would not be made sad by the people who should make me happy. I felt sure of all of you. I felt sure that you would share my joy.
4. When I wrote to you before, I was very troubled and unhappy in my heart. I wrote with many tears. I did not write to make you sad, but to let you know how much I love you.
5. Someone there among you has caused sadness. He caused this not to me, but to all of you—I mean he caused sadness to all in some way. (I do not want to make it sound worse than it really is.)
6. The punishment that most of you gave him is enough for him.
7. But now you should forgive him and comfort him. This will keep him from having too much sadness and giving up completely.
8. So I beg you to show him that you love him.
9. This is why I wrote to you. I wanted to test you and see if you obey in everything.