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For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land with flowing streams, with springs and underground waters welling up in valleys and hills,(A) a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey, a land where you may eat bread without scarcity, where you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron and from whose hills you may mine copper. 10 You shall eat your fill and bless the Lord your God for the good land that he has given you.(B)

11 “Take care that you do not forget the Lord your God by failing to keep his commandments, his ordinances, and his statutes that I am commanding you today. 12 When you have eaten your fill and have built fine houses and live in them 13 and when your herds and flocks have multiplied and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, 14 then do not exalt yourself, forgetting the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery,(C) 15 who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, an arid wasteland with poisonous[a] snakes and scorpions. He made water flow for you from flint rock.(D) 16 He fed you in the wilderness with manna that your ancestors did not know, to humble you and to test you and in the end to do you good.(E) 17 Do not say to yourself, ‘My power and the might of my own hand have gotten me this wealth.’ 18 But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, so that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your ancestors, as he is doing today.(F)

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Footnotes

  1. 8.15 Or fiery

For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land(A)—a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out into the valleys and hills;(B) a land with wheat and barley,(C) vines(D) and fig trees,(E) pomegranates, olive oil and honey;(F) a land where bread(G) will not be scarce and you will lack nothing;(H) a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills.(I)

10 When you have eaten and are satisfied,(J) praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. 11 Be careful that you do not forget(K) the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. 12 Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down,(L) 13 and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, 14 then your heart will become proud and you will forget(M) the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 15 He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness,(N) that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes(O) and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock.(P) 16 He gave you manna(Q) to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known,(R) to humble and test(S) you so that in the end it might go well with you. 17 You may say to yourself,(T) “My power and the strength of my hands(U) have produced this wealth for me.” 18 But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth,(V) and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.

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The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.(A) Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not regretfully or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.(B) And God is able to provide you with every blessing[a] in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.(C) As it is written,

“He scatters abroad; he gives to the poor;
    his righteousness[b] endures forever.”(D)

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[d] glorify God by your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ and by the generosity of your partnership with them and with all others,(E) 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!(F)

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Footnotes

  1. 9.8 Gk gift or grace
  2. 9.9 Or benevolence
  3. 9.10 Or benevolence
  4. 9.13 Or they

Generosity Encouraged

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

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

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

12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs(N) of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.(O) 13 Because of the service(P) by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God(Q) for the obedience that accompanies your confession(R) of the gospel of Christ,(S) and for your generosity(T) 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(U) for his indescribable gift!(V)

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 9:9 Psalm 112:9