Προς Κορινθιους Β΄ 8

1 γνωριζομεν δε υμιν αδελφοι την χαριν του θεου την δεδομενην εν ταις εκκλησιαις της μακεδονιας

And now we give you news, brothers, about the grace of God which has been given to the churches of Macedonia;

2 οτι εν πολλη δοκιμη θλιψεως η περισσεια της χαρας αυτων και η κατα βαθους πτωχεια αυτων επερισσευσεν εις το πλουτος της απλοτητος αυτων

How while they were undergoing every sort of trouble, and were in the greatest need, they took all the greater joy in being able to give freely to the needs of others.

3 οτι κατα δυναμιν μαρτυρω και παρα δυναμιν αυθαιρετοι

For I give them witness, that as they were able, and even more than they were able, they gave from the impulse of their hearts,

4 μετα πολλης παρακλησεως δεομενοι ημων την χαριν και την κοινωνιαν της διακονιας της εις τους αγιους

Seriously requesting us that they might have a part in this grace of being servants to the needs of the saints:

5 και ου καθως ηλπισαμεν αλλα εαυτους εδωκαν πρωτον τω κυριω και ημιν δια θεληματος θεου

And going even farther than our hope, they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us after the purpose of God.

6 εις το παρακαλεσαι ημας τιτον ινα καθως προενηρξατο ουτως και επιτελεση εις υμας και την χαριν ταυτην

So that we made a request to Titus that, as he had made a start before, so he might make this grace complete in you.

7 αλλ ωσπερ εν παντι περισσευετε πιστει και λογω και γνωσει και παση σπουδη και τη εξ ημων εν υμιν αγαπη ινα και εν ταυτη τη χαριτι περισσευητε

And that as you are full of every good thing, of faith, of the word, of knowledge, of a ready mind, and of love to us, so you may be full of this grace in the same way.

8 ου κατ επιταγην λεγω αλλα δια της ετερων σπουδης και το της υμετερας αγαπης γνησιον δοκιμαζων

I am not giving you an order, but using the ready mind of others as a test of the quality of your love.

9 γινωσκετε γαρ την χαριν του κυριου ημων ιησου {VAR1: [χριστου] } {VAR2: χριστου } οτι δι υμας επτωχευσεν πλουσιος ων ινα υμεις τη εκεινου πτωχεια πλουτησητε

For you see the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, how though he had wealth, he became poor on your account, so that through his need you might have wealth.

10 και γνωμην εν τουτω διδωμι τουτο γαρ υμιν συμφερει οιτινες ου μονον το ποιησαι αλλα και το θελειν προενηρξασθε απο περυσι

And in this I give my opinion: for it is to your profit, who were the first to make a start a year before, not only to do this, but to make clear that your minds were more than ready to do it.

11 νυνι δε και το ποιησαι επιτελεσατε οπως καθαπερ η προθυμια του θελειν ουτως και το επιτελεσαι εκ του εχειν

Then make the doing of it complete; so that as you had a ready mind, you may give effect to it as you are able.

12 ει γαρ η προθυμια προκειται καθο εαν εχη ευπροσδεκτος ου καθο ουκ εχει

For if there is a ready mind, a man will have God's approval in the measure of what he has, and not of what he has not.

13 ου γαρ ινα αλλοις ανεσις υμιν θλιψις αλλ εξ ισοτητος εν τω νυν καιρω το υμων περισσευμα εις το εκεινων υστερημα

And I am not saying this so that others may get off free, while the weight comes on you:

14 ινα και το εκεινων περισσευμα γενηται εις το υμων υστερημα οπως γενηται ισοτης

But so that things may be equal; that from those things of which you have more than enough at the present time their need may be helped, and that if you are in any need they may be a help to you in the same way, making things equal.

15 καθως γεγραπται ο το πολυ ουκ επλεονασεν και ο το ολιγον ουκ ηλαττονησεν

As it says in the Writings, He who had taken up much had nothing over and he who had little had enough.

16 χαρις δε τω θεω τω {VAR1: διδοντι } {VAR2: δοντι } την αυτην σπουδην υπερ υμων εν τη καρδια τιτου

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

17 οτι την μεν παρακλησιν εδεξατο σπουδαιοτερος δε υπαρχων αυθαιρετος εξηλθεν προς υμας

For while he gladly gave ear to our request, he was interested enough to go to you from the impulse of his heart.

18 συνεπεμψαμεν δε μετ αυτου τον αδελφον ου ο επαινος εν τω ευαγγελιω δια πασων των εκκλησιων

And with him we have sent a brother whose praise in the good news has gone through all the churches;

19 ου μονον δε αλλα και χειροτονηθεις υπο των εκκλησιων συνεκδημος ημων {VAR1: εν } {VAR2: συν } τη χαριτι ταυτη τη διακονουμενη υφ ημων προς την {VAR2: [αυτου] } του κυριου δοξαν και προθυμιαν ημων

And not only so, but he was marked out by the churches to go with us in the grace of this giving which we have undertaken to the glory of the Lord and to make clear that our mind was ready:

20 στελλομενοι τουτο μη τις ημας μωμησηται εν τη αδροτητι ταυτη τη διακονουμενη υφ ημων

And so that no man might be able to say anything against us in the business of this giving which has been put into our hands:

21 προνοουμεν γαρ καλα ου μονον ενωπιον κυριου αλλα και ενωπιον ανθρωπων

For the business has been so ordered by us as to have the approval, not only of the Lord, but of men.

22 συνεπεμψαμεν δε αυτοις τον αδελφον ημων ον εδοκιμασαμεν εν πολλοις πολλακις σπουδαιον οντα νυνι δε πολυ σπουδαιοτερον πεποιθησει πολλη τη εις υμας

And we have sent with them our brother, whose ready spirit has been made clear to us at times and in ways without number, but it is now all the more so because of the certain faith which he has in you.

23 ειτε υπερ τιτου κοινωνος εμος και εις υμας συνεργος ειτε αδελφοι ημων αποστολοι εκκλησιων δοξα χριστου

If any question comes up about Titus, he is my brother-worker, working with me for you; or about the others, they are the representatives of the churches to the glory of Christ.

24 την ουν ενδειξιν της αγαπης υμων και ημων καυχησεως υπερ υμων εις αυτους {VAR1: ενδειξασθε } {VAR2: ενδεικνυμενοι } εις προσωπον των εκκλησιων

Make clear then to them, as representatives of the churches, the quality of your love, and that the things which we have said about you are true.