Parallel Bible results for "2 corinthians 8"

2 Corinthians 8

The Complete Jewish Bible CJB

1 Now, brothers, we must tell you about the grace God has given the congregations in Macedonia.

2 Despite severe trials, and even though they are desperately poor, their joy has overflowed in a wealth of generosity.

3 I tell you they have not merely given according to their means, but of their own free will they have given beyond their means.

4 They begged and pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service for God's people.

5 Also, they didn't do this in the way we had expected, but first they gave themselves to the Lord, which means, by God's will, to us.

6 All this has led us to urge Titus to bring this same gracious gift to completion among you, since he has already made a beginning of it.

7 Just as you excel in everything - in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in diligence of every kind, and in your love for us - see that you excel in this gift too.

8 I am not issuing an order; rather, I am testing the genuineness of your love against the diligence of others.

9 For you know how generous our Lord Yeshua the Messiah was - for your sakes he impoverished himself, even though he was rich, so that he might make you rich by means of his poverty.

10 As I say, in regard to this matter I am only giving an opinion. A year ago you were not only the first to take action but the first to want to do so. Now it would be to your advantage

11 to finish what you started, so that your eagerness in wanting to commence the project may be matched by your eagerness to complete it, as you contribute from what you have.

12 For if the eagerness to give is there, the acceptability of the gift will be measured by what you have, not by what you don't have.

13 It is not that relief for others should cause trouble for you, but that there should be a kind of reciprocity:

14 at present your abundance can help those in need; so that when you are in need, their abundance can help you - thus there is reciprocity.

15 It is as the Tanakh says, "He who gathered much had nothing extra, and he who gathered little had nothing lacking."

16 Now I thank God for making Titus as devoted to you as we are;

17 for he not only responded to our urging, but, being so devoted, he is coming to you on his own initiative.

18 And with him we are sending the brother whose work for the Good News is praised in all the congregations;

19 not only that, he has also been appointed by the congregations to travel with us, so that the way we administer this charitable work will bring honor to the Lord and show our eagerness to help.

20 Our aim in this is to show that our conduct in dealing with these substantial sums is above reproach;

21 for we take pains to do what is right not only in the sight of God but also in the sight of other people. i

22 With these two we are sending another brother of ours, one whose diligence we have tested many times in many ways, but who is now all the more diligent because of his great confidence in you.

23 As for Titus, he is my partner who works with me on your behalf; and the other brothers with him are emissaries of the congregations and bring honor to the Messiah.

24 So the love you show these men will justify our pride in you to them, and through them to the congregations that sent them.

The Bible in Basic English BBE

1 And now we give you news, brothers, about the grace of God which has been given to the churches of Macedonia;

2 How while they were undergoing every sort of trouble, and were in the greatest need, they took all the greater joy in being able to give freely to the needs of others.

3 For I give them witness, that as they were able, and even more than they were able, they gave from the impulse of their hearts,

4 Seriously requesting us that they might have a part in this grace of being servants to the needs of the saints:

5 And going even farther than our hope, they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us after the purpose of God.

6 So that we made a request to Titus that, as he had made a start before, so he might make this grace complete in you.

7 And that as you are full of every good thing, of faith, of the word, of knowledge, of a ready mind, and of love to us, so you may be full of this grace in the same way.

8 I am not giving you an order, but using the ready mind of others as a test of the quality of your love.

9 For you see the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, how though he had wealth, he became poor on your account, so that through his need you might have wealth.

10 And in this I give my opinion: for it is to your profit, who were the first to make a start a year before, not only to do this, but to make clear that your minds were more than ready to do it.

11 Then make the doing of it complete; so that as you had a ready mind, you may give effect to it as you are able.

12 For if there is a ready mind, a man will have God's approval in the measure of what he has, and not of what he has not.

13 And I am not saying this so that others may get off free, while the weight comes on you:

14 But so that things may be equal; that from those things of which you have more than enough at the present time their need may be helped, and that if you are in any need they may be a help to you in the same way, making things equal.

15 As it says in the Writings, He who had taken up much had nothing over and he who had little had enough.

16 But praise be to God, who puts the same care for you into the heart of Titus.

17 For while he gladly gave ear to our request, he was interested enough to go to you from the impulse of his heart.

18 And with him we have sent a brother whose praise in the good news has gone through all the churches;

19 And not only so, but he was marked out by the churches to go with us in the grace of this giving which we have undertaken to the glory of the Lord and to make clear that our mind was ready:

20 And so that no man might be able to say anything against us in the business of this giving which has been put into our hands:

21 For the business has been so ordered by us as to have the approval, not only of the Lord, but of men.

22 And we have sent with them our brother, whose ready spirit has been made clear to us at times and in ways without number, but it is now all the more so because of the certain faith which he has in you.

23 If any question comes up about Titus, he is my brother-worker, working with me for you; or about the others, they are the representatives of the churches to the glory of Christ.

24 Make clear then to them, as representatives of the churches, the quality of your love, and that the things which we have said about you are true.