⁵ So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for the ^(A)gift^[a] you have promised, so that it may be ready ^(B)as a willing gift, ^(C)not as an exaction.^[b]

²⁷ And now let this ^(A)present that your servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who follow my lord.

¹¹ Please accept my ^(A)blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” Thus he ^(B)urged him, and he took it.

^17 (A)Not that I seek the gift, but I seek ^(B)the fruit that increases to your credit.^[a]

¹⁷ Did I take advantage of you ^(A)through any of those whom I sent to you? ^18 (B)I urged Titus to go, and sent ^(C)the brother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not act in the same spirit? Did we not take the same steps?

⁶ Accordingly, ^(A)we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you ^(B)this act of grace.

² On ^(A)the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, ^(B)as he may prosper, ^(C)so that there will be no collecting when I come.

Gehazi's Greed and Punishment

¹⁵ Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and he came and stood before him. And he said, “Behold, I know that ^(A)there is no God in all the earth but in Israel; so ^(B)accept now a present from your servant.”

²⁶ When David came to Ziklag, he sent part of the spoil to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, “Here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of the Lord.”

¹⁵ She said to him, “Give me a blessing. Since you have set me in the land of the Negeb, give me also springs of water.” And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.