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17 How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?(A)

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17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them,(A) how can the love of God be in that person?(B)

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16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

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16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others,(A) for with such sacrifices(B) God is pleased.

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“If there is among you anyone in need, a member of your community in any of your towns within the land that the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted toward your needy neighbor.(A) You should rather open your hand, willingly lending enough to meet the need, whatever it may be.(B) Be careful that you do not entertain a mean thought, thinking, ‘The seventh year, the year of remission, is near,’ and therefore view your needy neighbor with hostility and give nothing; your neighbor[a] might cry to the Lord against you, and you would incur guilt.(C) 10 Give liberally and be ungrudging when you do so, for on this account the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake.(D) 11 Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, ‘Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land.’(E)

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Footnotes

  1. 15.9 Heb he

If anyone is poor(A) among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted(B) toward them. Rather, be openhanded(C) and freely lend them whatever they need. Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: “The seventh year, the year for canceling debts,(D) is near,” so that you do not show ill will(E) toward the needy among your fellow Israelites and give them nothing. They may then appeal to the Lord against you, and you will be found guilty of sin.(F) 10 Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart;(G) then because of this the Lord your God will bless(H) you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. 11 There will always be poor people(I) in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.(J)

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20 Those who say, “I love God,” and hate a brother or sister are liars, for those who do not love a brother or sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.(A)

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20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister(A) is a liar.(B) For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen,(C) cannot love God, whom they have not seen.(D)

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Is it not to share your bread with the hungry
    and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them
    and not to hide yourself from your own kin?(A)
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
    and your healing shall spring up quickly;
your vindicator[a] shall go before you;
    the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.(B)
Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
    you shall cry for help, and he will say, “Here I am.”

If you remove the yoke from among you,
    the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,(C)
10 if you offer your food to the hungry
    and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,
then your light shall rise in the darkness
    and your gloom be like the noonday.(D)

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Footnotes

  1. 58.8 Or vindication

Is it not to share your food with the hungry(A)
    and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter(B)
when you see the naked, to clothe(C) them,
    and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?(D)
Then your light will break forth like the dawn,(E)
    and your healing(F) will quickly appear;
then your righteousness[a](G) will go before you,
    and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.(H)
Then you will call,(I) and the Lord will answer;(J)
    you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
    with the pointing finger(K) and malicious talk,(L)
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
    and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,(M)
then your light(N) will rise in the darkness,
    and your night will become like the noonday.(O)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 58:8 Or your righteous One

11 In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none, and whoever has food must do likewise.”(A)

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11 John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”(A)

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17 Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord
    and will be repaid in full.(A)

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17 Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord,(A)
    and he will reward them for what they have done.(B)

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15 If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food(A)

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15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.(A)

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So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for this bountiful gift that you have promised, so that it may be ready as a bountiful gift and not as an extortion.

The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.(A) Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not regretfully or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.(B) And God is able to provide you with every blessing[a] in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.(C) As it is written,

“He scatters abroad; he gives to the poor;
    his righteousness[b] endures forever.”(D)

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Footnotes

  1. 9.8 Gk gift or grace
  2. 9.9 Or benevolence

So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers(A) to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift,(B) not as one grudgingly given.(C)

Generosity Encouraged

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.(D) Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give,(E) not reluctantly or under compulsion,(F) for God loves a cheerful giver.(G) And God is able(H) to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need,(I) you will abound in every good work. As it is written:

“They have freely scattered their gifts(J) to the poor;
    their righteousness endures forever.”[a](K)

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 9:9 Psalm 112:9

14 your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may also supply your need, in order that there may be equality. 15 As it is written,

“The one who had much did not have too much,
    and the one who had little did not have too little.”(A)

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14 At the present time your plenty will supply what they need,(A) so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, 15 as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.”[a](B)

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 8:15 Exodus 16:18

17 As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches but rather on God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.(A) 18 They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share,(B)

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17 Command those who are rich(A) in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth,(B) which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God,(C) who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.(D) 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds,(E) and to be generous and willing to share.(F)

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When one will not listen to the law,
    even one’s prayers are an abomination.(A)

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If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction,
    even their prayers are detestable.(A)

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Faith Conquers the World

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ[a] has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 5.1 Or the Messiah

Faith in the Incarnate Son of God

Everyone who believes(A) that Jesus is the Christ(B) is born of God,(C) and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.(D)

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