格林多后书 8

1Now we make known unto you, brethren, the grace of God, that hath been given in the churches of Macedonia.

2That in much experience of tribulation, they have had abundance of joy; and their very deep poverty hath abounded unto the riches of their simplicity.

3For according to their power (I bear them witness), and beyond their power, they were willing.

4With much entreaty begging of us the grace and communication of the ministry that is done toward the saints.

5And not as we hoped, but they gave their own selves first to the Lord, then to us by the will of God:

6Insomuch, that we desired Titus, that as he had begun, so also he would finish among you this same grace.

7That 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.

8I speak not as commanding; but by the carefulness of others, approving also the good disposition of your charity.

9For 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.

10And 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.

11Now 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.

12For if the will be forward, it is accepted according to that which a man hath, not according to that which he hath not.

13For I mean not that others should be eased, and you burthened, but by an equality.

14In this present time let your abundance supply their want, that their abundance also may supply your want, that there may be an equality,

15As it is written: He that had much, had nothing over; and he that had little, had no want.

16And thanks be to God, who hath given the same carefulness for you in the heart of Titus.

17For indeed he accepted the exhortation; but being more careful, of his own will he went unto you.

18We have sent also with him the brother, whose praise is in the gospel through all the churches.

19And 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:

20Avoiding this, lest any man should blame us in this abundance which is administered by us.

21For we forecast what may be good not only before God, but also before men.

22And 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,

23Either for Titus, who is my companion and fellow labourer towards you, or our brethren, the apostles of the churches, the glory of Christ.

24Wherefore shew ye to them, in the sight of the churches, the evidence of your charity, and of our boasting on your behalf.

1Notam autem facimus vobis, fratres, gratiam Dei, quæ data est in ecclesiis Macedoniæ:

2quod in multo experimento tribulationis abundantia gaudii ipsorum fuit, et altissima paupertas eorum, abundavit in divitias simplicitatis eorum:

3quia secundum virtutem testimonium illis reddo, et supra virtutem voluntarii fuerunt,

4cum multa exhortatione obsecrantes nos gratiam, et communicationem ministerii, quod fit in sanctos.

5Et non sicut speravimus, sed semetipsos dederunt primum Domino, deinde nobis per voluntatem Dei,

6ita ut rogaremus Titum, ut quemadmodum cœpit, ita et perficiat in vobis etiam gratiam istam.

7Sed sicut in omnibus abundatis fide, et sermone, et scientia, et omni sollicitudine, insuper et caritate vestra in nos, ut et in hac gratia abundetis.

8Non quasi imperans dico: sed per aliorum sollicitudinem, etiam vestræ caritatis ingenium bonum comprobans.

9Scitis enim gratiam Domini nostri Jesu Christi, quoniam propter vos egenus factus est, cum esset dives, ut illius inopia vos divites essetis.

10Et consilium in hoc do: hoc enim vobis utile est, qui non solum facere, sed et velle cœpistis ab anno priore:

11nunc vero et facto perficite: ut quemadmodum promptus est animus voluntatis, ita sit et perficiendi ex eo quod habetis.

12Si enim voluntas prompta est, secundum id quod habet, accepta est, non secundum id quod non habet.

13Non enim ut aliis sit remissio, vobis autem tribulatio, sed ex æqualitate.

14In præsenti tempore vestra abundantia illorum inopiam suppleat: ut et illorum abundantia vestræ inopiæ sit supplementum, ut fiat æqualitas, sicut scriptum est:

15Qui multum, non abundavit: et qui modicum, non minoravit.

16Gratias autem Deo, qui dedit eamdem sollicitudinem pro vobis in corde Titi,

17quoniam exhortationem quidem suscepit: sed cum sollicitior esset, sua voluntate profectus est ad vos.

18Misimus etiam cum illo fratrem, cujus laus est in Evangelio per omnes ecclesias:

19non solum autem, sed et ordinatus est ab ecclesiis comes peregrinationis nostræ in hanc gratiam, quæ ministratur a nobis ad Domini gloriam, et destinatam voluntatem nostram:

20devitantes hoc, ne quis nos vituperet in hac plenitudine, quæ ministratur a nobis.

21Providemus enim bona non solum coram Deo, sed etiam coram hominibus.

22Misimus autem cum illis et fratrem nostrum, quem probavimus in multis sæpe sollicitum esse: nunc autem multo sollicitiorem, confidentia multa in vos,

23sive pro Tito, qui est socius meus, et in vos adjutor, sive fratres nostri, Apostoli ecclesiarum, gloria Christi.

24Ostensionem ergo, quæ est caritatis vestræ, et nostræ gloriæ pro vobis, in illos ostendite in faciem ecclesiarum.

1And so we are making known to you, brothers, the grace of God that has been given in the churches of Macedonia.

2For within a great experience of tribulation, they have had an abundance of joy, and their profound poverty has only increased the richness of their simplicity.

3And I bear witness to them, that they were willing to accept what was in accord with their ability, and even what was beyond their ability.

4For they were begging us, with great exhortation, for the grace and the communication of the ministry that is with the saints.

5And this is beyond what we had hoped, since they gave themselves, first of all to the Lord, and then also to us, through the will of God,

6so much so that we petitioned Titus, that in the same manner as he had begun, he would also complete in you this same grace.

7But, just as in all things you abound in faith and in word and in knowledge and in all solicitude, and even more so in your charity toward us, so also may you abound in this grace.

8I am speaking, not commanding. But through the solicitude of others, I approve of the good character of your charity.

9For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, he became poor for your sakes, so that through his poverty, you might become rich.

10And about this, I give my counsel. For this is useful to those of you who, only a year earlier, had just begun to act, or even to be willing to act.

11So, truly now, accomplish this in deed, so that, in the same manner as your willing mind is prompted, you may also act, out of that which you have.

12For when the will is prompted, it receives according to what that person has, not according to what that person does not have.

13And it is not that others should be relieved, while you are troubled, but that there should be an equality.

14In this present time, let your abundance supply their need, so that their abundance may also supply your need, in order that there may be an equality, just as it was written:

15“He with more did not have too much; and he with less did not have too little.”

16But thanks be to God, who has granted to the heart of Titus, this same solicitude for you.

17For certainly, he accepted the exhortation. But since he was more solicitous, he went to you of his own free will.

18And we have even sent with him a brother whose praise accompanies the Gospel throughout all the churches.

19And not only that, but he was also chosen by the churches to be a companion for our sojourn in this grace, which is ministered by us with our determined will, to the glory of the Lord.

20So let us avoid this, lest anyone disparage us over the abundance that is ministered by us.

21For we provide for what is good, not only in the sight of God, but also in the sight of men.

22And we have also sent with them our brother, whom we have proven to be frequently solicitous in many matters. But now there is a greater solicitousness, which is greatly entrusted to you;

23and whether it concerns Titus, who is a companion to me and a helper to you, or whether it concerns our brothers, the Apostles of the churches, it is to the glory of Christ.

24Therefore, in the sight of the churches, show them the proof of your charity and of our glorying about you.