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)

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

⁷ “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) 8} You should rather open your hand, willingly lending enough to meet the need, whatever it may be.^{(B) 9} 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)

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)

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)

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

⁵ 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.

⁶ The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.^{(A) 7} Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not regretfully or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.^{(B) 8} 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) 9} As it is written,