¹⁶ Even pull out some stalks for her from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up, and don’t rebuke^(A) her.”

¹⁷ If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them,^(A) how can the love of God be in that person?^{(B) 18} Dear children,^(C) let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.^(D)

¹³ Share with the Lord’s people who are in need.^(A) Practice hospitality.^(B)

¹⁹ When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it.^(A) Leave it for the foreigner,^(B) the fatherless and the widow,^(C) so that the Lord your God may bless^(D) you in all the work of your hands. ²⁰ When you beat the olives from your trees, do not go over the branches a second time.^(E) Leave what remains for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow. ²¹ When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, do not go over the vines again. Leave what remains for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow.

¹⁰ God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.^(A)

⁷ Your love has given me great joy and encouragement,^(A) because you, brother, have refreshed^(B) the hearts of the Lord’s people.

⁵ And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. ⁶ So we urged^(A) Titus,^(B) just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion^(C) this act of grace on your part. ⁷ But since you excel in everything^(D)—in faith, in speech, in knowledge,^(E) in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you^[a]—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

⁸ I am not commanding you,^(F) but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. ⁹ For you know the grace^(G) of our Lord Jesus Christ,^(H) that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor,^(I) so that you through his poverty might become rich.^(J)

¹⁰ And here is my judgment^(K) about what is best for you in this matter. Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so.^{(L) 11} Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness^(M) to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.

⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’^(A)