2Cor 8 | NASB1995 | STEP | Now , brethren , we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia ,

‏ 2 Corinthians 8

Great Generosity

1 Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been ^agiven in the churches of ^bMacedonia, 2 that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the ^cwealth of their liberality. 3 For I testify that ^daccording to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, 4 begging us with much urging for the ^efavor ^{▼▼ Lit and}of participation in the ^{▼▼ Lit service to the saints
,} ^hsupport of the ^{▼▼ Or holy ones}saints, 5 and this, not as we had ^{▼▼ Lit hoped}expected, but they first ^kgave themselves to the Lord and to us by ^lthe will of God. 6 So we ^murged ⁿTitus that as he had previously ^omade a beginning, so he would also complete in you ^pthis gracious work as well.

7 But just as you ^qabound ^rin everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the ^{▼▼ Lit love from us in you; one early ms reads your love for us}love we inspired in you, see that you ^tabound in this gracious work also. 8 I ^uam not speaking this as a command, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also. 9 For you know ^vthe grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ^wthough He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich. 10 I ^xgive my opinion in this matter, for this is to your advantage, who were the first to begin ^ya year ago not only to do this, but also to desire to do it. 11 But now finish ^{▼▼ Lit the doing}doing it also, so that just as there was the ^aareadiness to desire it, so there may be also the completion of it by your ability. 12 For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable ^abaccording to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. 13 For this is not for the ease of others and for your affliction, but by way of equality— 14 at this present time your abundance being a supply for ^actheir need, so that their abundance also may become a supply for ^adyour need, that there may be equality; 15 as it is written, ^ae“He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little had no lack.”

16 But ^afthanks be to God who ^agputs the same earnestness on your behalf in the heart of ^ahTitus. 17 For he not only accepted our ^aiappeal, but being himself very earnest, he has gone to you of his own accord. 18 We have sent along with him ^ajthe brother whose fame in the things of the ^akgospel has spread through ^alall the churches; 19 ^amand not only this, but he has also been ^anappointed by the churches to travel with us in ^aothis gracious work, which is being administered by us for the glory of the Lord Himself, and to show our ^apreadiness, 20 ^{▼▼ Lit avoiding this}taking precaution so that no one will discredit us in our administration of this generous gift; 21 for we ^arhave regard for what is honorable, not only in ^asthe sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men. 22 We have sent with them our brother, whom we have often tested and found diligent in many things, but now even more diligent because of his great confidence in you. 23 As for ^atTitus, he is my ^aupartner and fellow worker ^{▼▼ Lit for you}among you; as for our ^awbrethren, they are ^{▼▼ Lit apostles
,} ^aymessengers of the churches, ^aza glory to Christ. 24 Therefore ^{▼▼ Lit in the face of the churches}openly before the churches, ^{▼▼ Or show the proof...for boasting to them about you}show them the proof of your love and of our ^bcreason for boasting about you.