2 Corinthians 8

1 Moreover, brothers, we make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the assemblies of Macedonia,

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

2 how in a severe ordeal of affliction, the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded to the riches of their generosity.

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

3 For according to their power, I testify, yes and beyond their power, they gave of their own accord,

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

4 begging us with much entreaty to receive this grace and the fellowship in the service to the holy ones.

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

5 This was not as we had expected, but first they gave their own selves to the Lord, and to us through the will of God.

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.

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

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.

7 But as you abound in everything—in faith, utterance, knowledge, all earnestness, and in your love to us—see that you also abound in this grace.

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.

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

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.

9 For you know the grace of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might become rich.

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.

10 I give advice in this: it is expedient for you who were the first to start a year ago, not only to do, but also to be willing.

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.

11 But now complete the doing also, that as there was the readiness to be willing, so there may be the completion also out of your ability.

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.

12 For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what you have, not according to what you don’t have.

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.

13 For this is not that others may be eased and you distressed,

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

14 but for equality. Your abundance at this present time supplies their lack, that their abundance also may become a supply for your lack, that there may be equality.

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.

15 As it is written, “He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.”

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

16 But thanks be to God, who puts the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus.

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

17 For he indeed accepted our exhortation, but being himself very earnest, he went out to you of his own accord.

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

18 We have sent together with him the brother whose praise in the Good News is known throughout all the assemblies.

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;

19 Not only so, but he was also appointed by the assemblies to travel with us in this grace, which is served by us to the glory of the Lord himself, and to show our readiness.

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.

20 We are avoiding this, that any man should blame us concerning this abundance which is administered by us.

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

21 Having regard for honourable things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.

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.

22 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 has in you.

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.

23 As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker for you. As for our brothers, they are the emissaries of the assemblies, the glory of Messiah.

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.

24 Therefore show the proof of your love to them before the assemblies, and of our boasting on your behalf.

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.