Προς Κορινθιους Β΄ 8

1 γνωριζομεν δε υμιν αδελφοι την χαριν του θεου την δεδομενην εν ταις εκκλησιαις της μακεδονιας

We would remind you, Brothers, of the love that God has shown to the Churches in Macedonia —

2 οτι εν πολλη δοκιμη θλιψεως η περισσεια της χαρας αυτων και η κατα βαθους πτωχεια αυτων επερισσευσεν εις τον πλουτον της απλοτητος αυτων

How, tired though they were by many a trouble, their overflowing happiness, and even their deep poverty, resulted in a flood of generosity.

3 οτι κατα δυναμιν μαρτυρω και υπερ δυναμιν αυθαιρετοι

I can bear witness that to the full extent of their power, and even beyond their power, spontaneously,

4 μετα πολλης παρακλησεως δεομενοι ημων την χαριν και την κοινωνιαν της διακονιας της εις τους αγιους δεξασθαι ημας

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 και ου καθως ηλπισαμεν αλλ εαυτους εδωκαν πρωτον τω κυριω και ημιν δια θεληματος θεου

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 εις το παρακαλεσαι ημας τιτον ινα καθως προενηρξατο ουτως και επιτελεση εις υμας και την χαριν ταυτην

And this led us to urge upon Titus that, as he had started the work for you, he should also see to the completion of this expression of your love.

7 αλλ ωσπερ εν παντι περισσευετε πιστει και λογω και γνωσει και παση σπουδη και τη εξ υμων εν ημιν αγαπη ινα και εν ταυτη τη χαριτι περισσευητε

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 ου κατ επιταγην λεγω αλλα δια της ετερων σπουδης και το της υμετερας αγαπης γνησιον δοκιμαζων

I am not laying a command upon you, but I am making use of the earnestness shown by others to test the genuineness of your affection.

9 γινωσκετε γαρ την χαριν του κυριου ημων ιησου χριστου οτι δι υμας επτωχευσεν πλουσιος ων ινα υμεις τη εκεινου πτωχεια πλουτησητε

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 και γνωμην εν τουτω διδωμι τουτο γαρ υμιν συμφερει οιτινες ου μονον το ποιησαι αλλα και το θελειν προενηρξασθε απο περυσι

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 νυνι δε και το ποιησαι επιτελεσατε οπως καθαπερ η προθυμια του θελειν ουτως και το επιτελεσαι εκ του εχειν

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 ει γαρ η προθυμια προκειται καθο εαν εχη τις ευπροσδεκτος ου καθο ουκ εχει

For, where there is willingness, a man’s gift is valued by its comparison with what he has, and not with what he has not.

13 ου γαρ ινα αλλοις ανεσις υμιν δε θλιψις αλλ εξ ισοτητος εν τω νυν καιρω το υμων περισσευμα εις το εκεινων υστερημα

For our object is not to give relief to others and bring distress on you, but, by equalising matters, to secure that,

14 ινα και το εκεινων περισσευμα γενηται εις το υμων υστερημα οπως γενηται ισοτης

on the present occasion, what you can spare may supply their need, so that at another time what they can spare may supply your need, and thus matters may be equalised.

15 καθως γεγραπται ο το πολυ ουκ επλεονασεν και ο το ολιγον ουκ ηλαττονησεν

As Scripture says — ‘The man who had much had nothing over, and the man who had little did not lack!’

16 χαρις δε τω θεω τω διδοντι την αυτην σπουδην υπερ υμων εν τη καρδια τιτου

I thank God for inspiring Titus with the same keen interest in your welfare that I have;

17 οτι την μεν παρακλησιν εδεξατο σπουδαιοτερος δε υπαρχων αυθαιρετος εξηλθεν προς υμας

for Titus has responded to my appeals and, in his great earnestness, is starting to go to you of his own accord.

18 συνεπεμψαμεν δε μετ αυτου τον αδελφον ου ο επαινος εν τω ευαγγελιω δια πασων των εκκλησιων

We are sending with him the Brother whose fame in the service of the Good News has spread through all the Churches;

19 ου μονον δε αλλα και χειροτονηθεις υπο των εκκλησιων συνεκδημος ημων συν τη χαριτι ταυτη τη διακονουμενη υφ ημων προς την αυτου του κυριου δοξαν και προθυμιαν υμων

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 honour of the Lord, and to show our deep interest.

20 στελλομενοι τουτο μη τις ημας μωμησηται εν τη αδροτητι ταυτη τη διακονουμενη υφ ημων

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 προνοουμενοι καλα ου μονον ενωπιον κυριου αλλα και ενωπιον ανθρωπων

for we are trying to make arrangements which shall be right, not only in the eyes of the Lord, but also in the eyes of men.

22 συνεπεμψαμεν δε αυτοις τον αδελφον ημων ον εδοκιμασαμεν εν πολλοις πολλακις σπουδαιον οντα νυνι δε πολυ σπουδαιοτερον πεποιθησει πολλη τη εις υμας

We are also sending with them another of our Brothers, 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 ειτε υπερ τιτου κοινωνος εμος και εις υμας συνεργος ειτε αδελφοι ημων αποστολοι εκκλησιων δοξα χριστου

If I must say anything about Titus, he is my intimate companion, and he shares my work for you; if it is our Brothers, they are delegates of the Churches, an honour to Christ.

24 την ουν ενδειξιν της αγαπης υμων και ημων καυχησεως υπερ υμων εις αυτους ενδειξασθε και εις προσωπον των εκκλησιων

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.