2 Corinthians 8 Parallel Bible Translations

2 Corinthians 8 ▼
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1 Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in his kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia. We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches.
2 They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity. for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.
3 For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own,
4 They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem. begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people.
5 They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do. and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. 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 have urged Titus, who encouraged your giving in the first place, to return to you and encourage you to finish this ministry of giving. Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part.
7 Since you excel in so many ways—in your faith, your gifted speakers, your knowledge, your enthusiasm, and your love from us—I want you to excel also in this gracious act of giving. But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also. But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you —see that you also excel in this grace of giving.
8 I am not commanding you to do this. But I am testing how genuine your love is by comparing it with the eagerness of the other churches. I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others.
9 You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
10 Here is my advice: It would be good for you to finish what you started a year ago. Last year you were the first who wanted to give, and you were the first to begin doing it. And in this matter I give my judgment: this benefits you, who a year ago started not only to do this work but also to desire to do it. And here is my judgment 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.
11 Now you should finish what you started. Let the eagerness you showed in the beginning be matched now by your giving. Give in proportion to what you have. So now finish doing it as well, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have. Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.
12 Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have. For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.
13 Of course, I don’t mean your giving should make life easy for others and hard for yourselves. I only mean that there should be some equality. For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality.
14 Right now you have plenty and can help those who are in need. Later, they will have plenty and can share with you when you need it. In this way, things will be equal. your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality,
15 As the Scriptures say, “Those who gathered a lot had nothing left over, and those who gathered only a little had enough.” As it is written, “Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.” as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.”
16 But thank God! He has given Titus the same enthusiasm for you that I have. But thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same earnest care I have for you. Thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you.
17 Titus welcomed our request that he visit you again. In fact, he himself was very eager to go and see you. For he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very earnest he is going to you of his own accord. For Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative.
18 We are also sending another brother with Titus. All the churches praise him as a preacher of the Good News. With him we are sending the brother who is famous among all the churches for his preaching of the gospel. And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel.
19 He was appointed by the churches to accompany us as we take the offering to Jerusalem—a service that glorifies the Lord and shows our eagerness to help. And not only that, but he has been appointed by the churches to travel with us as we carry out this act of grace that is being ministered by us, for the glory of the Lord himself and to show our good will. What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help.
20 We are traveling together to guard against any criticism for the way we are handling this generous gift. We take this course so that no one should blame us about this generous gift that is being administered by us, We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift.
21 We are careful to be honorable before the Lord, but we also want everyone else to see that we are honorable. for we aim at what is honorable not only in the Lord’s sight but also in the sight of man. For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man.
22 We are also sending with them another of our brothers who has proven himself many times and has shown on many occasions how eager he is. He is now even more enthusiastic because of his great confidence in you. And with them we are sending our brother whom we have often tested and found earnest in many matters, but who is now more earnest than ever because of his great confidence in you. In addition, we are sending with them our brother who has often proved to us in many ways that he is zealous, and now even more so because of his great confidence in you.
23 If anyone asks about Titus, say that he is my partner who works with me to help you. And the brothers with him have been sent by the churches, and they bring honor to Christ. As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker for your benefit. And as for our brothers, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ. As for Titus, he is my partner and co-worker among you; as for our brothers, they are representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ.
24 So show them your love, and prove to all the churches that our boasting about you is justified. So give proof before the churches of your love and of our boasting about you to these men. Therefore show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our pride in you, so that the churches can see it.
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