2 Corinthians 8
1 We want to remind you, friends, of the love that God has shown to the churches in Macedonia –
γνωριζω δε υμιν αδελφοι την χαριν του θεου την δεδομενην εν ταις εκκλησιαις της μακεδονιας
2 How, tired though they were by many a trouble, their overflowing happiness, and even their deep poverty, resulted in a flood of generosity.
οτι εν πολλη δοκιμη θλιψεως η περισσεια της χαρας αυτων και η κατα βαθους πτωχεια αυτων επερισσευσεν εις τον πλουτον της απλοτητος αυτων
3 I can bear witness that to the full extent of their power, and even beyond their power, spontaneously,
οτι κατα δυναμιν μαρτυρω και υπερ δυναμιν αυθαιρετοι
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.
μετα πολλης παρακλησεως δεομενοι ημων την χαριν και την κοινωνιαν της διακονιας της εις τους αγιους
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.
και ου καθως ηλπισαμεν αλλ εαυτους εδωκαν πρωτον τω κυριω και ημιν δια θεληματος θεου
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.
εις το παρακαλεσαι ημας τιτον ινα καθως προενηρξατο ουτως και επιτελεση εις υμας και την χαριν ταυτην
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.
αλλ ωσπερ εν παντι περισσευετε πιστει και λογω και γνωσει και παση σπουδη και τη εξ υμων εν ημιν αγαπη ινα και εν ταυτη τη χαριτι περισσευητε
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.
ου κατ επιταγην λεγω αλλα δια της ετερων σπουδης και το της υμετερας αγαπης γνησιον δοκιμαζων
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.
γινωσκετε γαρ την χαριν του κυριου ημων ιησου χριστου οτι δι υμας επτωχευσεν πλουσιος ων ινα υμεις τη εκεινου πτωχεια πλουτησητε
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.
και γνωμην εν τουτω διδωμι τουτο γαρ υμιν συμφερει οιτινες ου μονον το ποιησαι αλλα και το θελειν προενηρξασθε απο περυσι
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.
νυνι δε και το ποιησαι επιτελεσατε οπως καθαπερ η προθυμια του θελειν ουτως και το επιτελεσαι εκ του εχειν
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.
ει γαρ η προθυμια προκειται καθο εαν εχη τις ευπροσδεκτος ου καθο ουκ εχει
13 For our object is not to give relief to others and bring distress on you. It is a matter of a fair balance.
ου γαρ ινα αλλοις ανεσις υμιν δε θλιψις αλλ εξ ισοτητος εν τω νυν καιρω το υμων περισσευμα εις το εκεινων υστερημα
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.
ινα και το εκεινων περισσευμα γενηται εις το υμων υστερημα οπως γενηται ισοτης
15 As scripture says – “Those who had much had nothing over, and those who had little did not lack!”
καθως γεγραπται ο το πολυ ουκ επλεονασεν και ο το ολιγον ουκ ηλαττονησεν
16 I thank God for inspiring Titus with the same keen interest in your welfare that I have;
χαρις δε τω θεω τω διδοντι την αυτην σπουδην υπερ υμων εν τη καρδια τιτου
17 for Titus has responded to my appeals and, in his great earnestness, is starting to go to you of his own accord.
οτι την μεν παρακλησιν εδεξατο σπουδαιοτερος δε υπαρχων αυθαιρετος εξηλθεν προς υμας
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;
συνεπεμψαμεν δε μετ αυτου τον αδελφον ου ο επαινος εν τω ευαγγελιω δια πασων των εκκλησιων
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.
ου μονον δε αλλα και χειροτονηθεις υπο των εκκλησιων συνεκδημος ημων συν τη χαριτι ταυτη τη διακονουμενη υφ ημων προς την αυτου του κυριου δοξαν και προθυμιαν ημων
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;
στελλομενοι τουτο μη τις ημας μωμησηται εν τη αδροτητι ταυτη τη διακονουμενη υφ ημων
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.
προνοουμενοι καλα ου μονον ενωπιον κυριου αλλα και ενωπιον ανθρωπων
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.
συνεπεμψαμεν δε αυτοις τον αδελφον ημων ον εδοκιμασαμεν εν πολλοις πολλακις σπουδαιον οντα νυνι δε πολυ σπουδαιοτερον πεποιθησει πολλη τη εις υμας
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.
ειτε υπερ τιτου κοινωνος εμος και εις υμας συνεργος ειτε αδελφοι ημων αποστολοι εκκλησιων δοξα χριστου
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.
την ουν ενδειξιν της αγαπης υμων και ημων καυχησεως υπερ υμων εις αυτους ενδειξασθε εις προσωπον των εκκλησιων
