Now we make known to you, brethren, the grace of God that is given in f the assemblies of Macedonia;
that in much trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality;
because according to power [I bear witness] and beyond power [they gave] of their own accord,
asking of us with much entreaty the grace and the fellowship of the ministering unto the saints; g
and this not as we hoped, but their own selves they gave first to the Lord and to us by the will of God;
so that we exhorted Titus, that, even as he before began, so he would also complete as to you this grace also;
but as ye abound in everything, faith and word and knowledge and all diligence and love from you to us, [see] that ye abound in this grace also.
I speak not by way of commandment, but through the diligence of others proving the genuineness of your love also.
For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that for your sakes he being rich became poor, in order that ye by his poverty might become rich.
And I give an opinion in this, for this is profitable for you who began before not only the doing, but also to be willing a year ago.
But now also complete the doing, that even as the readiness of the willing [was there], so also the completing [may be] out of what ye have.
For if the readiness be there, [one is] accepted according to what he may have, not according to what he hath not.
For [it is] not that others [should have] ease and you distress,
but on equality: at the present time your abundance for their lack, that their abundance also should be for your lack, so that there should be equality;
as it is written, He that [gathered] much had nothing over, and he that [gathered] little had no lack.
But thanks to God that giveth the same zeal for you in the heart of Titus,
in that he received indeed the exhortation, but being very zealous of his own accord he set out unto you.
But we sent together with him the brother whose praise in the gospel [is] through all the assemblies,
and not only [so] but also chosen by the assemblies our fellow-traveler with this grace that is being administered by us unto the glory of the Lord [himself] and our readiness;
guarding against this, lest any should blame us in this abundance that is being administered by us,
for we provide things honourable not only before [the] Lord but also before men.
And we have sent with them our brother whom we proved to be zealous many times in many things, but now much more zealous by great confidence that [he hath] in you.
Whether as regards Titus, [he is] my partner and fellow-labourer toward you; whether our brethren, [they are] messengers of assemblies, Christ’s glory.
The showing forth then of your love and of our boasting for you show forth unto them in the face of the assemblies.