2 Corinthians 8

Modern

Literal

Generosity Commended

¹Now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the churches of Macedonia.

¹Now we make known to you, brothers, the grace of God having been given in the churches of Macedonia,

²In the terrible ordeal they suffered, their abundant joy and deep poverty overflowed into rich generosity.

²that in much proof of tribulation, the abundance of their joy and of their deep poverty abounded into the riches of their generosity.

³For I testify that they gave according to their ability and even beyond it. Of their own accord,

³For I testify that according to their power and beyond their power, of their own accord,

⁴they earnestly pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.

⁴with much entreaty they were imploring us for the grace and the fellowship of the service to the saints.

⁵And not only did they do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us, through the will of God.

⁵And not even as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and to us by the will of God.

⁶So we urged Titus to help complete your act of grace, just as he had started it.

⁶Accordingly, we exhorted Titus that just as he began before, so also he might complete to you also this grace,

⁷But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness, and in the love we inspired in you—^asee that you also excel in this grace of giving.

⁷but just as you abound in everything—in faith and word and knowledge and all earnestness and in the love from us in you—that also you may abound in this grace.

⁸I am not giving a command, but I am testing the sincerity of your love through the earnestness of others.

⁸I do not speak as a command, but proving the genuineness of your love through the earnestness of others also.

⁹For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.

⁹For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that being rich, on account of you He became poor, so that you by that poverty might be enriched.

¹⁰And this is my opinion about what is helpful for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give, but even to have such a desire.

¹⁰And I give a judgment in this matter, for this is profitable for you, who not only began before to do, but also to will, from a year ago.

¹¹Now finish the work, so that you may complete it with the same eager desire, according to your means.

¹¹And now also complete the doing, so that just as there was the readiness to will, so also there may be to complete out of that which you have.

¹²For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.

¹²For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable as if he may have, not as he does not have.

¹³It is not our intention that others may be relieved while you are burdened, but that there may be equality.

¹³For it is not that to others is relief and for you tribulation, but of equality.

¹⁴At the present time, your surplus will meet their need, so that in turn their surplus will meet your need. This way there will be equality.

¹⁴At the present time, your abundance is for their need, so that their abundance also may be for your need, so that there may be equality.

¹⁵As it is written:

“He who gathered much had no excess,

and he who gathered little had no shortfall.”^a

¹⁵As it has been written: “The one who gathered much did not abound, and the one who gathered little did not lack.”

Titus Commended

¹⁶But thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same devotion I have for you.

¹⁶But thanks to God, the One putting the same earnestness for you in the heart of Titus.

¹⁷For not only did he welcome our appeal, but he is eagerly coming to you of his own volition.

¹⁷For indeed he accepted the exhortation, but being more earnest, of his own accord he went out to you.

¹⁸Along with Titus we are sending the brother who is praised by all the churches for his work in the gospel.

¹⁸And we sent with him the brother whose praise in the gospel is through all of the churches,

¹⁹More than that, this brother was chosen by the churches to accompany us with the gracious offering we administer^a to honor the Lord Himself and to show our eagerness to help.

¹⁹and not only that, but also having been appointed by the churches, he is our fellow traveler with this grace that is being ministered by us toward the glory of the Lord Himself and to our readiness,

²⁰We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this generous gift.

²⁰avoiding this, lest anyone should blame us in this abundance being ministered by us.

²¹For we are taking great care to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord, but also in the eyes of men.

²¹For we are giving forethought to what is right, not only before the Lord but also before men.

²²And we are sending along with them our brother who has proven his earnestness to us many times and in many ways, and now even more so by his great confidence in you.

²²Now we sent with them our brother, whom we proved often in many things to be earnest, but now much more earnest by his confidence that is in you.

²³As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you. As for our brothers, they are messengers^a of the churches, the glory of Christ.

²³Whether as regards Titus my partner and fellow worker for you. or our brothers, they are apostles of the churches, the glory of Christ—

²⁴In full view of the churches, then, show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our boasting about you.

²⁴the demonstration therefore of your love and of our boasting on behalf of you to them, demonstrated to the face of the churches.