2 Korinterne 8
1 Men vi kundgøre eder, Brødre! den Guds Naade, som er given i Makedoniens Menigheder,
We want to remind you, friends, of the love that God has shown to the churches in Macedonia –
2 at under megen Trængsels Prøvelse har deres overstrømmende Glæde og deres dybe Fattigdom strømmet over i deres Gavmildheds Rigdom.
How, tired though they were by many a trouble, their overflowing happiness, and even their deep poverty, resulted in a flood of generosity.
3 Thi efter Evne (det vidner jeg) gave de, ja, over Evne, af egen Drift,
I can bear witness that to the full extent of their power, and even beyond their power, spontaneously,
4 idet de med megen Overtalelse bade os om den Naade at maatte tage Del i Hjælpen til de hellige,
and with many an appeal to us for permission, they showed their love, and contributed their share towards the fund for their fellow Christians.
5 og ikke alene som vi havde haabet, men sig selv gav de først og fremmest til Herren og saa til os, ved Guds Villie,
And that, not only in the way we had expected; but first they gave themselves to the Lord, and to us also, in accordance with God’s will.
6 saa at vi opfordrede Titus til, ligesom han forhen havde begyndt, saaledes ogsaa at tilendebringe hos eder ogsaa denne Gave.
And this led us to beg Titus, that since he had started the work for you, he should also see to the completion of this expression of your love.
7 Men ligesom I ere rige i alt, i Tro og Tale og Erkendelse og al Iver og i eders Kærlighed til os: Maatte I da være rige ogsaa i denne Gave!
And, remembering how you excel in everything – in faith, in teaching, in knowledge, in unfailing earnestness, and in the affection that we have awakened in you – I ask you to excel also in this expression of your love.
8 Jeg siger det ikke som en Befaling, men for ved andres Iver at prøve ogsaa eders Kærligheds Ægthed.
I am not laying a command on you, but I am making use of the earnestness shown by others to test the genuineness of your affection.
9 I kende jo vor Herres Jesu Kristi Naade, at han for eders Skyld blev fattig, da han var rig, for at I ved hans Fattigdom skulde blive rige.
For you do not forget the loving kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ – how that for your sakes, although he was rich, he became poor, so that you also might become rich through his poverty.
10 Og jeg giver min Mening herom til Kende; thi dette er eder gavnligt, I, som jo i Fjor vare de første til at begynde, ikke alene med Gerningen, men endogsaa med Villien dertil.
I am only making suggestions on this matter; for this is the best course for you, since you were a year before others, not only in taking action, but also in showing your readiness to do so.
11 Men fuldbringer da nu ogsaa Gerningen, for at, ligesom I vare redebonne til at ville, I ogsaa maa fuldbringe det efter eders Evne.
And now I want you to complete the work, so that its completion may correspond with your willing readiness – in proportion, of course, to your means.
12 Thi naar Redebonheden er til Stede, da er den velbehagelig efter, hvad den evner, ikke efter, hvad den ikke evner.
For, where there is willingness, a person’s gift is valued by its comparison with what they have, and not with what they do not have.
13 Det er nemlig ikke Meningen, at andre skulle have Lettelse og I Trængsel; nej, det skal være ligeligt. Nu for Tiden maa eders Overflod komme hines Trang til Hjælp,
For our object is not to give relief to others and bring distress on you. It is a matter of a fair balance.
14 for at ogsaa hines Overflod kan komme eders Trang til Hjælp, for at der kan blive Ligelighed,
On this occasion what you can spare will supply what they need, at another time what they can spare may supply your need, and so things will be equal.
15 som der er skrevet: „Den, som sankede meget, fik ikke for meget, og den, som sankede lidet, fik ikke for lidt.”
As scripture says – ‘Those who had much had nothing over, and those who had little did not lack!’
16 Men Gud ske Tak, som giver den samme Iver for eder i Titus's Hjerte!
I thank God for inspiring Titus with the same keen interest in your welfare that I have;
17 Thi vel har han modtaget min Opfordring; men da han er saa ivrig, saa er det af egen Drift, at han rejser til eder.
for Titus has responded to my appeals and, in his great earnestness, is starting to go to you of his own accord.
18 Og sammen med ham sende vi den Broder, hvis Ros i Evangeliet gaar igennem alle Menighederne,
We are sending with him one of the Lord’s followers whose fame in the service of the good news has spread through all the churches;
19 og ikke det alene, men han er ogsaa udvalgt af Menederne til at rejse med os med denne Gave, som besørges af os, for at fremme selve Herrens Ære og vor Redebonhed,
and not only that, but he has been elected by the churches to accompany us on our journey, in connexion with this expression of your love, which we are personally administering to the honor of the Lord, and to show our deep interest.
20 idet vi undgaa dette, at nogen skulde kunne laste os i Anledning af denne rige Hjælp, som besørges af os;
What we are specially guarding against is that any fault should be found with us in regard to our administration of this charitable fund;
21 thi vi lægge Vind paa, hvad der er godt ikke alene i Herrens, men ogsaa i Menneskers Øjne.
for we are trying to make arrangements which will be right, not only in the eyes of the Lord, but also in the eyes of people.
22 Men sammen med dem sende vi vor Broder, hvis Iver vi ofte i mange Maader have prøvet, men som nu er langt ivrigere paa Grund af sin store Tillid til eder.
We are also sending with them another of our friends, whose earnestness we have many a time proved in many ways, and whom we now find made even more earnest by his great confidence in you.
23 Hvad Titus angaar, da er han min Fælle og Medarbejder hos eder, og hvad vore Brødre angaar, da ere de Menighedsudsendinge, Kristi Ære.
If I must say anything about Titus, he is my intimate companion, and he shares my work for you; if it is our friends, they are delegates of the churches, an honor to Christ.
24 Saa giver dem da for Menighedernes Aasyn Beviset paa eders Kærlighed og for det, vi have rost eder for.
Show them, therefore – so that the churches may see it – the proof of your affection, and the ground for our boasting to them about you.
