2 Corinthians 8

1 We want to remind you, friends, of the love that God has shown to the churches in Macedonia –

Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God which hath been given in the churches of Macedonia;

2 How, tired though they were by many a trouble, their overflowing happiness, and even their deep poverty, resulted in a flood of generosity.

how that in much proof of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.

3 I can bear witness that to the full extent of their power, and even beyond their power, spontaneously,

For according to their power, I bear witness, yea and beyond their power, [they gave] of their own accord,

4 and with many an appeal to us for permission, they showed their love, and contributed their share towards the fund for their fellow Christians.

beseeching us with much entreaty in regard of this grace and the fellowship in the ministering to the saints:

5 And that, not only in the way we had expected; but first they gave themselves to the Lord, and to us also, in accordance with God’s will.

and [this], not as we had hoped, but first they gave their own selves to the Lord, and to us by the will of God.

6 And this led us to beg Titus, that since he had started the work for you, he should also see to the completion of this expression of your love.

Insomuch that we exhorted Titus, that as he had made a beginning before, so he would also complete in you this grace also.

7 And, remembering how you excel in everything – in faith, in teaching, in knowledge, in unfailing earnestness, and in the affection that we have awakened in you – I ask you to excel also in this expression of your love.

But as ye abound in everything, [in] faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and [in] all earnestness, and [in] your love to us, [see] that ye abound in this grace also.

8 I am not laying a command on you, but I am making use of the earnestness shown by others to test the genuineness of your affection.

I speak not by way of commandment, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity also of your love.

9 For you do not forget the loving kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ – how that for your sakes, although he was rich, he became poor, so that you also might become rich through his poverty.

For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might become rich.

10 I am only making suggestions on this matter; for this is the best course for you, since you were a year before others, not only in taking action, but also in showing your readiness to do so.

And herein I give [my] judgment: for this is expedient for you, who were the first to make a beginning a year ago, not only to do, but also to will.

11 And now I want you to complete the work, so that its completion may correspond with your willing readiness – in proportion, of course, to your means.

But now complete the doing also; that as [there was] the readiness to will, so [there may be] the completion also out of your ability.

12 For, where there is willingness, a person’s gift is valued by its comparison with what they have, and not with what they do not have.

For if the readiness is there, [it is] acceptable according as [a man] hath, not according as [he] hath not.

13 For our object is not to give relief to others and bring distress on you. It is a matter of a fair balance.

For [I say] not [this], that others may be eased, [and] ye distressed:

14 On this occasion what you can spare will supply what they need, at another time what they can spare may supply your need, and so things will be equal.

but by equality; your abundance [being a supply] at this present time for their want, that their abundance also may become [a supply] for your want; that there may be equality:

15 As scripture says – “Those who had much had nothing over, and those who had little did not lack!”

as it is written, He that [gathered] much had nothing over; and he that [gathered] little had no lack.

16 I thank God for inspiring Titus with the same keen interest in your welfare that I have;

But thanks be to God, which putteth the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus.

17 for Titus has responded to my appeals and, in his great earnestness, is starting to go to you of his own accord.

For indeed he accepted our exhortation; but being himself very earnest, he went forth unto you of his own accord.

18 We are sending with him one of the Lord’s followers whose fame in the service of the good news has spread through all the churches;

And we have sent together with him the brother whose praise in the gospel [is spread] through all the churches;

19 and not only that, but he has been elected by the churches to accompany us on our journey, in connexion with this expression of your love, which we are personally administering to the honour of the Lord, and to show our deep interest.

and not only so, but who was also appointed by the churches to travel with us in [the matter of] this grace, which is ministered by us to the glory of the Lord, and [to shew] our readiness:

20 What we are specially guarding against is that any fault should be found with us in regard to our administration of this charitable fund;

Avoiding this, that any man should blame us in [the matter of] this bounty which is ministered by us:

21 for we are trying to make arrangements which will be right, not only in the eyes of the Lord, but also in the eyes of people.

for we take thought for things honourable, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.

22 We are also sending with them another of our friends, whose earnestness we have many a time proved in many ways, and whom we now find made even more earnest by his great confidence in you.

And we have sent with them our brother, whom we have many times proved earnest in many things, but now much more earnest, by reason of the great confidence which [he hath] in you.

23 If I must say anything about Titus, he is my intimate companion, and he shares my work for you; if it is our friends, they are delegates of the churches, an honour to Christ.

Whether [any inquire] about Titus, [he is] my partner and [my] fellow-worker to you-ward; or our brethren, [they are] the messengers of the churches, [they are] the glory of Christ.

24 Show them, therefore – so that the churches may see it – the proof of your affection, and the ground for our boasting to them about you.

Shew ye therefore unto them in the face of the churches the proof of your love, and of our glorying on your behalf.