New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 We want you to know, brothers and sisters, about the grace of God that has been granted to the churches of Macedonia;
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And now we give you news, brothers, about the grace of God which has been given to the churches of Macedonia;
2 for during a severe ordeal of affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.
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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, as I can testify, they voluntarily gave according to their means, and even beyond their means,
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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 begging us earnestly for the privilege of sharing in this ministry to the saints—
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Seriously requesting us that they might have a part in this grace of being servants to the needs of the saints:
5 and this, not merely as we expected; they gave themselves first to the Lord and, by the will of God, to us,
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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 might urge Titus that, as he had already made a beginning, so he should also complete this generous undertaking among you.
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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 Now as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you —so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking.
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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 do not say this as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of your love against the earnestness of others.
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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 know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.
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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 matter I am giving my advice: it is appropriate for you who began last year not only to do something but even to desire to do something—
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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 now finish doing it, so that your eagerness may be matched by completing it according to your means.
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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 the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has—not according to what one does not have.
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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 I do not mean that there should be relief for others and pressure on you, but it is a question of a fair balance between
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And I am not saying this so that others may get off free, while the weight comes on you:
14 your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may be for your need, in order that there may be a fair balance.
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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 is written, "The one who had much did not have too much, and the one who had little did not have too little."
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As it says in the Writings, He who had taken up much had nothing over and he who had little had enough.
16 But thanks be to God who put in the heart of Titus the same eagerness for you that I myself have.
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But praise be to God, who puts the same care for you into the heart of Titus.
17 For he not only accepted our appeal, but since he is more eager than ever, he is going to you of his own accord.
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For while he gladly gave ear to our request, he was interested enough to go to you from the impulse of his heart.
18 With him we are sending the brother who is famous among all the churches for his proclaiming the good news;
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And with him we have sent a brother whose praise in the good news has gone through all the churches;
19 and not only that, but he has also been appointed by the churches to travel with us while we are administering this generous undertaking for the glory of the Lord himself and to show our goodwill.
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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 We intend that no one should blame us about this generous gift that we are administering,
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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 we intend to do what is right not only in the Lord's sight but also in the sight of others.
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For the business has been so ordered by us as to have the approval, not only of the Lord, but of men.
22 And with them we are sending our brother whom we have often tested and found eager in many matters, but who is now more eager than ever because of his great confidence in you.
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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 As for Titus, he is my partner and co-worker in your service; as for our brothers, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ.
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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 Therefore openly before the churches, show them the proof of your love and of our reason for boasting about you.
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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.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.