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2 Corinthians 8
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
2 Corinthians 8
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
8 Now we make known unto you, brethren, the grace of God, that hath been given in the churches of Macedonia.
2 That in much experience of tribulation, they have had abundance of joy; and their very deep poverty hath abounded unto the riches of their simplicity.
3 For according to their power (I bear them witness), and beyond their power, they were willing.
4 With much entreaty begging of us the grace and communication of the ministry that is done toward the saints.
5 And not as we hoped, but they gave their own selves first to the Lord, then to us by the will of God:
6 Insomuch, that we desired Titus, that as he had begun, so also he would finish among you this same grace.
7 That as in all things you abound in faith, and word, and knowledge, and all carefulness; moreover also in your charity towards us, so in this grace also you may abound.
8 I speak not as commanding; but by the carefulness of others, approving also the good disposition of your charity.
9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that being rich he became poor, for your sakes; that through his poverty you might be rich.
10 And herein I give my advice; for this is profitable for you, who have begun not only to do, but also to be willing, a year ago.
11 Now therefore perform ye it also in deed; that as your mind is forward to be willing, so it may be also to perform, out of that which you have.
12 For if the will be forward, it is accepted according to that which a man hath, not according to that which he hath not.
13 For I mean not that others should be eased, and you burthened, but by an equality.
14 In this present time let your abundance supply their want, that their abundance also may supply your want, that there may be an equality,
15 As it is written: He that had much, had nothing over; and he that had little, had no want.
16 And thanks be to God, who hath given the same carefulness for you in the heart of Titus.
17 For indeed he accepted the exhortation; but being more careful, of his own will he went unto you.
18 We have sent also with him the brother, whose praise is in the gospel through all the churches.
19 And not that only, but he was also ordained by the churches companion of our travels, for this grace, which is administered by us, to the glory of the Lord, and our determined will:
20 Avoiding this, lest any man should blame us in this abundance which is administered by us.
21 For we forecast what may be good not only before God, but also before men.
22 And we have sent with them our brother also, whom we have often proved diligent in many things; but now much more diligent, with much confidence in you,
23 Either for Titus, who is my companion and fellow labourer towards you, or our brethren, the apostles of the churches, the glory of Christ.
24 Wherefore shew ye to them, in the sight of the churches, the evidence of your charity, and of our boasting on your behalf.
2 Corinthians 8
New International Version
2 Corinthians 8
New International Version
The Collection for the Lord’s People
8 And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian(A) churches. 2 In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.(B) 3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able,(C) and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing(D) in this service(E) to the Lord’s people.(F) 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(G) Titus,(H) just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion(I) this act of grace on your part. 7 But since you excel in everything(J)—in faith, in speech, in knowledge,(K) 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,(L) but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 9 For you know the grace(M) of our Lord Jesus Christ,(N) that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor,(O) so that you through his poverty might become rich.(P)
10 And here is my judgment(Q) 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.(R) 11 Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness(S) to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. 12 For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has,(T) not according to what one does not have.
13 Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. 14 At the present time your plenty will supply what they need,(U) so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, 15 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.”[b](V)
Titus Sent to Receive the Collection
16 Thanks be to God,(W) who put into the heart(X) of Titus(Y) the same concern I have for you. 17 For Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative.(Z) 18 And we are sending along with him the brother(AA) who is praised by all the churches(AB) for his service to the gospel.(AC) 19 What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us(AD) as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help.(AE) 20 We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. 21 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.(AF)
22 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 As for Titus,(AG) he is my partner(AH) and co-worker(AI) among you; as for our brothers,(AJ) they are representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ. 24 Therefore show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our pride in you,(AK) so that the churches can see it.
Footnotes
- 2 Corinthians 8:7 Some manuscripts and in your love for us
- 2 Corinthians 8:15 Exodus 16:18
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA)
Public Domain (Why are modern Bible translations copyrighted?)
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.