2 Corinthians 8-9

New American Standard Bible 1995

Great Generosity

8 Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been ^(A)given in the churches of ^(B)Macedonia, ² that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the ^(C)wealth of their liberality. ³ For I testify that ^(D)according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, ⁴ begging us with much urging for the ^(E)favor ^[a]of participation in the ^[b](F)support of the ^[c]saints, ⁵ and this, not as we had ^[d]expected, but they first ^(G)gave themselves to the Lord and to us by ^(H)the will of God. ⁶ So we ^(I)urged ^(J)Titus that as he had previously ^(K)made a beginning, so he would also complete in you ^(L)this gracious work as well.

⁷ But just as you ^(M)abound ^(N)in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the ^[e]love we inspired in you, see that you ^(O)abound in this gracious work also. ⁸ I ^(P)am not speaking this as a command, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also. ⁹ For you know ^(Q)the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ^(R)though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich. ¹⁰ I ^(S)give my opinion in this matter, for this is to your advantage, who were the first to begin ^(T)a year ago not only to do this, but also to desire to do it. ¹¹ But now finish ^[f]doing it also, so that just as there was the ^(U)readiness to desire it, so there may be also the completion of it by your ability. ¹² For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable ^(V)according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. ¹³ For this is not for the ease of others and for your affliction, but by way of equality— ¹⁴ at this present time your abundance being a supply for ^(W)their need, so that their abundance also may become a supply for ^(X)your need, that there may be equality; ¹⁵ as it is written, “^(Y)He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little had no lack.”

¹⁶ But ^(Z)thanks be to God who ^(AA)puts the same earnestness on your behalf in the heart of ^(AB)Titus. ¹⁷ For he not only accepted our ^(AC)appeal, but being himself very earnest, he has gone to you of his own accord. ¹⁸ We have sent along with him ^(AD)the brother whose fame in the things of the ^(AE)gospel has spread through ^(AF)all the churches; ^19 (AG)and not only this, but he has also been ^(AH)appointed by the churches to travel with us in ^(AI)this gracious work, which is being administered by us for the glory of the Lord Himself, and to show our ^(AJ)readiness, ^20 [g]taking precaution so that no one will discredit us in our administration of this generous gift; ²¹ for we ^(AK)have regard for what is honorable, not only in ^(AL)the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men. ²² We have sent with them our brother, whom we have often tested and found diligent in many things, but now even more diligent because of his great confidence in you. ²³ As for ^(AM)Titus, he is my ^(AN)partner and fellow worker ^[h]among you; as for our ^(AO)brethren, they are ^[i](AP)messengers of the churches, ^(AQ)a glory to Christ. ²⁴ Therefore ^[j]openly before the churches, ^[k]show them the proof of your love and of our ^(AR)reason for boasting about you.

God Gives Most

9 For ^(AS)it is superfluous for me to write to you about this ^(AT)ministry to the ^[l]saints; ² for I know your readiness, of which I ^(AU)boast about you to the ^(AV)Macedonians, namely, that ^(AW)Achaia has been prepared since ^(AX)last year, and your zeal has stirred up most of them. ³ But I have sent the brethren, in order that our ^(AY)boasting about you may not be made empty in this case, so that, ^(AZ)as I was saying, you may be prepared; ⁴ otherwise if any ^(BA)Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we—not to speak of you—will be put to shame by this confidence. ⁵ So I thought it necessary to urge the ^(BB)brethren that they would go on ahead to you and arrange beforehand your previously promised ^[m](BC)bountiful gift, so that the same would be ready as a ^[n](BD)bountiful gift and not ^[o](BE)affected by covetousness.

⁶ Now this I say, ^(BF)he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows ^[p]bountifully will also reap ^[q]bountifully. ⁷ Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not ^(BG)grudgingly or under compulsion, for ^(BH)God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸ And ^(BI)God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; ⁹ as it is written,

¹⁰ Now He who supplies ^(BK)seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and ^(BL)increase the harvest of your righteousness; ¹¹ you will be ^(BM)enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing ^(BN)thanksgiving to God. ¹² For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying ^(BO)the needs of the ^[s]saints, but is also overflowing ^(BP)through many thanksgivings to God. ¹³ Because of the proof given by this ^(BQ)ministry, they will ^(BR)glorify God for your obedience to your ^(BS)confession of the ^(BT)gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your ^[t]contribution to them and to all, ¹⁴ while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you. ^15 (BU)Thanks be to God for His indescribable ^(BV)gift!