Бог вознаграждает щедрость

Мне нет нужды писать вам о помощи святым. Я знаю ваше горячее желание помочь, и я даже хвалил вас перед македонцами. Я говорил им о том, что вы в Ахаии готовы были к такому пожертвованию еще в прошлом году, и ваше рвение побудило и их к действиям. Я посылаю к вам братьев, чтобы в этом случае наша похвала о вас не была пустой и чтобы вы оказались готовы, как я и говорил вам. Ведь если македонцы придут со мной и найдут, что вы, о ком мы говорили с такой уверенностью, не готовы, то нам будет стыдно, не говоря уже о вас. Поэтому я посчитал необходимым убедить братьев посетить вас заранее, чтобы завершить сбор пожертвований, как вы сами обещали. Тогда и будет видно, что вы делаете это не по принуждению, а добровольно.

Помните: кто скупо сеет, тот скупо и жнет, и кто сеет щедро, тот щедро и жнет. Каждый пусть дает столько, сколько ему подсказывает сердце, не с огорчением и не по принуждению, потому что Бог любит того, кто жертвует с радостью. Бог может обеспечить вас всем, что нужно[a], чтобы у вас всегда было всего в достатке и с лихвой хватало еще на любое доброе дело, как написано:

«Он щедро раздал свое имущество бедным,
    и его праведность длится вовек»[b].

10 И Тот, Кто дает семя сеятелю, Кто дает людям хлеб в пищу, Тот умножит посеянное вами и увеличит жатву вашей праведности[c]. 11 Вы станете так богаты всем, что всегда сможете щедро помогать людям, и за ваш щедрый дар, переданный через нас, они будут благодарить Бога.

12 Ваше служение не только помогает нуждам святых, но и вызывает все большую и большую благодарность Богу! 13 И, видя это ваше служение милосердия, люди будут славить Бога за вас, потому что вы верны Радостной Вести Христа, которую вы исповедуете, и делитесь с ними и со всеми тем, что имеете сами. 14 Они будут молиться о вас и будут тянуться к вам, благодаря безмерной благодати, которая дана вам Богом. 15 Благодарность Богу за Его неописуемый дар!

Footnotes

  1. 9:8 Букв.: «всякой благодатью».
  2. 9:9 Пс. 111:9.
  3. 9:10 Ср. Ис. 55:10; Ос. 10:12.

I realize that I really don’t even need to mention this to you, about helping God’s people. For I know how eager you are to do it, and I have boasted to the friends in Macedonia that you were ready to send an offering a year ago. In fact, it was this enthusiasm of yours that stirred up many of them to begin helping. But I am sending these men just to be sure that you really are ready, as I told them you would be, with your money all collected; I don’t want it to turn out that this time I was wrong in my boasting about you. I would be very much ashamed—and so would you—if some of these Macedonian people come with me, only to find that you still aren’t ready after all I have told them!

So I have asked these other brothers to arrive ahead of me to see that the gift you promised is on hand and waiting. I want it to be a real gift and not look as if it were being given under pressure.

But remember this—if you give little, you will get little. A farmer who plants just a few seeds will get only a small crop, but if he plants much, he will reap much. Everyone must make up his own mind as to how much he should give. Don’t force anyone to give more than he really wants to, for cheerful givers are the ones God prizes. God is able to make it up to you by giving you everything you need and more so that there will not only be enough for your own needs but plenty left over to give joyfully to others. It is as the Scriptures say: “The godly man gives generously to the poor. His good deeds will be an honor to him forever.”

10 For God, who gives seed to the farmer to plant, and later on good crops to harvest and eat, will give you more and more seed to plant and will make it grow so that you can give away more and more fruit from your harvest.

11 Yes, God will give you much so that you can give away much, and when we take your gifts to those who need them they will break out into thanksgiving and praise to God for your help. 12 So two good things happen as a result of your gifts—those in need are helped, and they overflow with thanks to God. 13 Those you help will be glad not only because of your generous gifts to themselves and to others, but they will praise God for this proof that your deeds are as good as your doctrine. 14 And they will pray for you with deep fervor and feeling because of the wonderful grace of God shown through you.

15 Thank God for his Son—his Gift too wonderful for words.

Semănând generozitate

Nu este necesar să vă scriu despre această slujire pentru sfinţi, pentru că eu cunosc bunăvoinţa voastră, cu care mă laud înaintea celor din Macedonia, spunând că Ahaia[a] a fost gata încă de anul trecut. Râvna voastră i-a încurajat pe cei mai mulţi dintre ei. Îi trimit însă pe fraţi pentru ca lauda noastră să nu fie dovedită ca fiind goală – în acest caz, aşa cum am spus, să fiţi pregătiţi. Dacă cei din Macedonia ar veni cu mine şi v-ar găsi nepregătiţi, ce ruşine ne-ar fi – ca să nu mai vorbesc despre ruşinea voastră – pentru că am avut o astfel de încredere în voi! Astfel, cred, fraţilor, că este necesar să vă îndemn, să vin la voi mai înainte, pentru a pregăti darul pe care l-aţi promis; atunci, el va fi gata ca un lucru pe care vreţi să-l daţi şi nu ca o constrângere.

Reamintiţi-vă: cine seamănă puţin va secera puţin, iar cine seamănă mult va secera mult. Fiecare să facă aşa cum a hotărât în inima lui, nu cu regret, nici din constrângere, pentru că Dumnezeu îl iubeşte pe dătătorul voios. Dumnezeu poate să vă dea din abundenţă orice dar, pentru ca, având întotdeauna lucrurile de care aveţi nevoie, să faceţi cât mai multe fapte bune, aşa cum este scris:

„A împărţit, a dăruit celor nevoiaşi,
    dreptatea lui rămâne pentru totdeauna.“[b]

10 Cel Ce asigură sămânţă pentru semănător şi pâine pentru hrană va asigura şi va înmulţi şi sămânţa voastră pentru semănat şi va creşte roadele dreptăţii voastre. 11 Astfel veţi fi îmbogăţiţi în orice privinţă, pentru întreaga voastră generozitate care, prin noi, va face să aducă mulţumiri lui Dumnezeu. 12 Căci ajutorul acestei lucrări pe care o faceţi voi nu doar că împlineşte nevoile sfinţilor, ci şi abundă în mulţumiri aduse lui Dumnezeu. 13 În urma dovezii acestui ajutor, voi Îl slăviţi pe Dumnezeu prin ascultarea voastră faţă de mărturisirea Evangheliei lui Cristos şi prin generozitatea contribuţiei faţă de ei şi faţă de alţii, 14 iar ei se vor ruga pentru voi cu dragoste, datorită harului deosebit de mare al lui Dumnezeu, pe care El vi l-a dat vouă. 15 Mulţumiri fie aduse lui Dumnezeu pentru darul Său nespus de mare!

Footnotes

  1. 2 Corintieni 9:2 Vezi nota de la 1:1
  2. 2 Corintieni 9:9 Vezi Ps. 112:9

There is no need(A) for me to write to you about this service(B) to the Lord’s people.(C) For I know your eagerness to help,(D) and I have been boasting(E) about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year(F) you in Achaia(G) were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action. But I am sending the brothers(H) in order that our boasting about you in this matter should not prove hollow, but that you may be ready, as I said you would be.(I) For if any Macedonians(J) come with me and find you unprepared, we—not to say anything about you—would be ashamed of having been so confident. So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers(K) 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,(L) not as one grudgingly given.(M)

Generosity Encouraged

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

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

10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food(V) will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.(W) 11 You will be enriched(X) in every way so that you can be generous(Y) on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.(Z)

12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs(AA) of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.(AB) 13 Because of the service(AC) by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God(AD) for the obedience that accompanies your confession(AE) of the gospel of Christ,(AF) and for your generosity(AG) in sharing with them and with everyone else. 14 And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. 15 Thanks be to God(AH) for his indescribable gift!(AI)

Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 9:9 Psalm 112:9