¹⁴ while they long for you and pray for you because of the surpassing grace of God that he has given you.

¹⁶ May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chain;^{(A) 17} when he arrived in Rome, he eagerly^[a] searched for me and found me ¹⁸ —may the Lord grant that he will find mercy from the Lord on that day! And you know very well how much service he rendered in Ephesus.^(B)

¹⁴ and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me^[a] with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.^(A)

¹⁸ I have been paid in full and have more than enough; I am fully satisfied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.^{(A) 19} And my God will fully satisfy every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.^(B)

4 ¹ Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.

²⁶ for he has been longing for^[a] all of you and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill.

⁸ For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the tender affection of Christ Jesus.^(A)

⁶ so that we might urge Titus that, as he had already made a beginning, so he should also complete this generous undertaking^[a] among you.^{(A) 7} Now as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you^[b]—so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking.^[c](B)

Encouragement to Be Generous

8 We want you to know, brothers and sisters, about the grace of God that has been granted to the churches of Macedonia,

¹¹ as you also join in helping us by your prayers, so that many may give thanks on our^[a] behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.^(A)