2 Corinthians 9
New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition
The Collection for Christians at Jerusalem
9 Now it is not necessary for me to write to you about the ministry to the saints, 2 for I know your eagerness, which is the subject of my boasting about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year; and your zeal has stirred up most of them. 3 But I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you may not prove to have been empty in this case, so that you may be ready, as I said you would be; 4 otherwise, if some Macedonians come with me and find that you are not ready, we would be humiliated—to say nothing of you—in this undertaking.[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 voluntary 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. 7 Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. 9 As it is written,
‘He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor;
his righteousness[b] endures for ever.’
10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.[c] 11 You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us; 12 for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God. 13 Through the testing of this ministry you glorify God by your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ and by the generosity of your sharing with them and with all others, 14 while they long for you and pray for you because of the surpassing grace of God that he has given you. 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
Footnotes
- 2 Corinthians 9:4 Other ancient authorities add of boasting
- 2 Corinthians 9:9 Or benevolence
- 2 Corinthians 9:10 Or benevolence
2 Corinthians 9
New King James Version
Administering the Gift
9 Now concerning (A)the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you; 2 for I know your willingness, about which I boast of you to the Macedonians, that Achaia was ready a (B)year ago; and your zeal has stirred up the majority. 3 (C)Yet I have sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this respect, that, as I said, you may be ready; 4 lest if some Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we (not to mention you!) should be ashamed of this [a]confident boasting. 5 Therefore I thought it necessary to [b]exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time, and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised, that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a [c]grudging obligation.
The Cheerful Giver
6 (D)But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows [d]bountifully will also reap [e]bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, (E)not grudgingly or of [f]necessity; for (F)God loves a cheerful giver. 8 (G)And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. 9 As it is written:
(H)“He has dispersed abroad,
He has given to the poor;
His righteousness endures forever.”
10 Now [g]may He who (I)supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, [h]supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your (J)righteousness, 11 while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, (K)which causes thanksgiving through us to God. 12 For the administration of this service not only (L)supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God, 13 while, through the proof of this ministry, they (M)glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal (N)sharing with them and all men, 14 and by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding (O)grace of God in you. 15 Thanks be to God (P)for His indescribable gift!
Footnotes
- 2 Corinthians 9:4 NU confidence.
- 2 Corinthians 9:5 encourage
- 2 Corinthians 9:5 Lit. covetousness
- 2 Corinthians 9:6 with blessings
- 2 Corinthians 9:6 with blessings
- 2 Corinthians 9:7 compulsion
- 2 Corinthians 9:10 NU omits may
- 2 Corinthians 9:10 NU will supply
2 Corinthians 9
King James Version
9 For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you:
2 For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many.
3 Yet have I sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf; that, as I said, ye may be ready:
4 Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting.
5 Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness.
6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
9 (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.
10 Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)
11 Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.
12 For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God;
13 Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men;
14 And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you.
15 Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
2 Corinthians 9
English Standard Version
The Collection for Christians in Jerusalem
9 Now (A)it is superfluous for me to write to you about (B)the ministry for the saints, 2 for I know your readiness, (C)of which I boast about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that Achaia has been ready (D)since last year. And your zeal has stirred up most of them. 3 But (E)I am sending[a] the brothers so that our boasting about you may not prove empty in this matter, so that you may be ready, (F)as I said you would be. 4 Otherwise, if some Macedonians (G)come with me and find that you are not ready, we would be humiliated—to say nothing of you—for being so confident. 5 So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for the (H)gift[b] you have promised, so that it may be ready (I)as a willing gift, (J)not as an exaction.[c]
The Cheerful Giver
6 The point is this: (K)whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully[d] will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, (L)not reluctantly or under compulsion, for (M)God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And (N)God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency[e] in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 9 As it is written,
(O)“He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever.”
10 He who supplies (P)seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and (Q)increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11 (R)You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which (S)through us will produce thanksgiving to God. 12 For the ministry of this service is not only supplying (T)the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. 13 By their approval of this service, (U)they[f] will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your (V)confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, 14 while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. 15 (W)Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!
Footnotes
- 2 Corinthians 9:3 Or I have sent
- 2 Corinthians 9:5 Greek blessing; twice in this verse
- 2 Corinthians 9:5 Or a gift expecting something in return; Greek greed
- 2 Corinthians 9:6 Greek with blessings; twice in this verse
- 2 Corinthians 9:8 Or all contentment
- 2 Corinthians 9:13 Or you
2 Corinthians 9
New English Translation
Preparing the Gift
9 For it is not necessary[a] for me to write you about this service[b] to the saints, 2 because I know your eagerness to help.[c] I keep boasting to the Macedonians about this eagerness of yours,[d] that Achaia has been ready to give[e] since last year, and your zeal to participate[f] has stirred up most of them.[g] 3 But I am sending[h] these brothers so that our boasting about you may not be empty in this case, so that you may be ready[i] just as I kept telling them. 4 For if any of the Macedonians should come with me and find that you are not ready to give, we would be humiliated[j] (not to mention you) by this confidence we had in you.[k] 5 Therefore I thought it necessary to urge these brothers to go to you in advance and to arrange ahead of time the generous contribution[l] you had promised, so this may be ready as a generous gift[m] and not as something you feel forced to do.[n] 6 My point is this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously[o] will also reap generously. 7 Each one of you should give[p] just as he has decided in his heart,[q] not reluctantly[r] or under compulsion,[s] because God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace overflow[t] to you so that because you have enough[u] of everything in every way at all times, you will overflow[v] in every good work. 9 Just as it is written, “He[w] has scattered widely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness remains forever.”[x] 10 Now God[y] who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide and multiply your supply of seed and will cause the harvest of your righteousness to grow. 11 You will be enriched in every way so that you may be generous on every occasion,[z] which is producing through us thanksgiving to God, 12 because the service of this ministry is not only providing for[aa] the needs of the saints but is also overflowing with many thanks to God. 13 Through the evidence[ab] of this service[ac] they will glorify God because of your obedience to your confession in the gospel of Christ and the generosity of your sharing[ad] with them and with everyone. 14 And in their prayers on your behalf, they long for you because of the extraordinary grace God has shown to you.[ae] 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift![af]
Footnotes
- 2 Corinthians 9:1 tn Or “it is superfluous.”
- 2 Corinthians 9:1 tn Or “this ministry,” “this contribution.”
- 2 Corinthians 9:2 tn The words “to help” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
- 2 Corinthians 9:2 tn Grk “concerning which I keep boasting to the Macedonians about you.” A new sentence was started here and the translation was simplified by removing the relative clause and repeating the antecedent “this eagerness of yours.”
- 2 Corinthians 9:2 tn The words “to give” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
- 2 Corinthians 9:2 tn The words “to participate” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
- 2 Corinthians 9:2 sn Most of them is a reference to the Macedonians (cf. v. 4).
- 2 Corinthians 9:3 tn This verb has been translated as an epistolary aorist.
- 2 Corinthians 9:3 tn That is, ready with the collection for the saints.
- 2 Corinthians 9:4 tn Or “be disgraced”; Grk “be put to shame.”
- 2 Corinthians 9:4 tn Grk “by this confidence”; the words “we had in you” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied as a necessary clarification for the English reader.
- 2 Corinthians 9:5 tn Grk “the blessing.”
- 2 Corinthians 9:5 tn Grk “a blessing.”
- 2 Corinthians 9:5 tn Grk “as a covetousness”; that is, a gift given grudgingly or under compulsion.
- 2 Corinthians 9:6 tn Or “bountifully”; so also in the next occurrence in the verse.
- 2 Corinthians 9:7 tn Or “must do.” The words “of you” and “should give” are not in the Greek text, which literally reads, “Each one just as he has decided in his heart.” The missing words are an ellipsis; these or similar phrases must be supplied for the English reader.
- 2 Corinthians 9:7 tn Or “in his mind.”
- 2 Corinthians 9:7 tn Or “not from regret”; Grk “not out of grief.”
- 2 Corinthians 9:7 tn Or “not out of a sense of duty”; Grk “from necessity.”
- 2 Corinthians 9:8 tn Or “abound.”
- 2 Corinthians 9:8 tn Or “so that by having enough.” The Greek participle can be translated as a participle of cause (“because you have enough”) or means (“by having enough”).
- 2 Corinthians 9:8 tn Or “abound.”
- 2 Corinthians 9:9 sn He in the quotation refers to the righteous person.
- 2 Corinthians 9:9 sn A quotation from Ps 112:9.
- 2 Corinthians 9:10 tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- 2 Corinthians 9:11 tn Grk “in every way for every generosity,” or “he will always make you rich enough to be generous at all times” (L&N 57.29).
- 2 Corinthians 9:12 tn Or “not only supplying.”
- 2 Corinthians 9:13 tn Or “proof,” or perhaps “testing” (NRSV).
- 2 Corinthians 9:13 tn Or “ministry.”
- 2 Corinthians 9:13 tn Or “your partnership”; Grk “your fellowship.”
- 2 Corinthians 9:14 tn Grk “the extraordinary grace of God to you”; the point is that God has given or shown grace to the Corinthians.
- 2 Corinthians 9:15 tn “Let us thank God for his gift which cannot be described with words” (L&N 33.202).
New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993, 1995 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

