1
So I made up my mind not to come to you again to make you sad.
2
For if I were to make you sad, who would be left to cheer me up? Only the very persons I had made sad.
3
That is why I wrote that letter to you - I did not want to come to you and be made sad by the very people who should make me glad. For I am convinced that when I am happy, then all of you are happy too.
4
I wrote you with a greatly troubled and distressed heart and with many tears; my purpose was not to make you sad, but to make you realize how much I love you all.
5
Now, if anyone has made somebody sad, he has not done it to me but to all of you - in part, at least. (I say this because I do not want to be too hard on him.)
6
It is enough that this person has been punished in this way by most of you.
7
Now, however, you should forgive him and encourage him, in order to keep him from becoming so sad as to give up completely.
8
And so I beg you to let him know that you really do love him.