Corinthios Ii 8

1 notam autem facimus vobis fratres gratiam Dei quae data est in ecclesiis Macedoniae

Now, my fellow believers, I want to tell you [what happened because of] God’s [acting] kindly [in the lives] of [the believers in] the congregations [here] in Macedonia [province].

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

Even though [the non-believers here] have been causing the believers to suffer severely, the believers are always very joyful. [Although they] are very poor, [they gave] very generously [to help other believers].

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

[I know that this is true], because I have seen for myself that they not only gave [money] [EUP] that they were able [to give], they gave [so much money that they did] not even keep enough [to buy what they needed for themselves]. Without anyone telling them [to share their possessions],

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

they themselves kept requesting us to let them participate in what [other believers] are doing in [sending a gift of money to] [EUP] God’s people [in Judea province].

5 et non sicut speravimus sed semet ipsos dederunt primum Domino deinde nobis per voluntatem Dei

I thought [that they would give only a little of their money, but] they did much [more than that]. First, they told the Lord [Jesus] that they wanted to do [what pleases him. After that, they told] me that they wanted to do [whatever I thought was good for them to do, because they were sure that] would be what God [wanted them to do].

6 ita ut rogaremus Titum ut quemadmodum coepit ita et perficiat in vos etiam gratiam istam

So, because Titus was the one who [helped you to] begin [gathering the money] [EUP, MTY] for your gift, I urged him to also [help you] finish [collecting the rest of] your generous and loving gift.

7 sed sicut in omnibus abundatis fide et sermone et scientia et omni sollicitudine et caritate vestra in nos ut et in hac gratia abundetis

You are doing very well in so many [other] ways. [God’s Spirit enables you to] believe that [God] will [do miracles. His Spirit has given you the ability to] tell [God’s message to others. His Spirit makes you able to] know things that he reveals to you. You eagerly [want to help people], and you love us [(exc)] very much. [So now], try to also do well in getting your generous [gift of money] [EUP] [ready to send to the believers in Judea province].

8 non quasi imperans dico sed per aliorum sollicitudinem etiam vestrae caritatis ingenitum bonum conprobans

I am not commanding you [to do this]. But [because I have seen how believers in] other [places] are eager [to help other believers who do not have] ([what they need/enough to live on]), I want you similarly to show that you love others sincerely.

9 scitis enim gratiam Domini nostri Iesu Christi quoniam propter vos egenus factus est cum esset dives ut illius inopia vos divites essetis

You already know [how much] our Lord Jesus [did for you] that you did not deserve. Everything [in heaven] belonged to him. But in order to benefit you, [he left all of those things behind and became a human being. Here on earth he had] very few possessions [of his own]. But because he became poor like that, he is [able to cause] you [(pl)] to become [spiritually] rich.

10 et consilium in hoc do hoc enim vobis utile est qui non solum facere sed et velle coepistis ab anno priore

So, [as you think of our Lord’s example, I will tell you] what I think that you should do in this matter [of giving money. As you know], last year, because you desired [to give money to help God’s people in Judea province], you began [collecting money] [EUP].

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

So now you should finish [collecting] the money [EUP] that you began [to gather]. In that way, [everyone will know that you are just] as ready to finish [collecting this gift] as you were to begin collecting it. Give what you are able to give.

12 si enim voluntas prompta est secundum id quod habet accepta est non secundum quod non habet

[Keep in mind that] if you really want to [give something to help others], whatever any one of you is [able to give] will be pleasing [to God. God does not expect his people to give more] than they can afford to give.

13 non enim ut aliis sit remissio vobis autem tribulatio sed ex aequalitate

I do not mean that [you should give so much to help others that] you yourselves do not have what you need. No, what I want is that [both you and others] will have what [you need].

14 in praesenti tempore vestra abundantia illorum inopiam suppleat ut et illorum abundantia vestrae inopiae sit supplementum ut fiat aequalitas sicut scriptum est

Right now, when you have (more [than you need/] ) and [the believers in Judea] do not have (enough/all that they need), [with your gift you will enable them to have enough. Maybe some day] when you do not have (enough/all that you need) and they have more than they need, they will [be able to] help you. Then everyone will have enough (OR, In that way each will share alike).

15 qui multum non abundavit et qui modicum non minoravit

[If that happens, the result will be like it is written] {[like someone/Moses] wrote} [in the Scriptures about the time when God provided manna for his people], If someone gathered a lot [of manna], he still did not have more than he needed, [because he gave some to someone who did not have enough]. And those who gathered only a little [manna] still had all that they needed [LIT], [because others who gathered more than they needed gave some manna to them].

16 gratias autem Deo qui dedit eandem sollicitudinem pro vobis in corde Titi

[So now I am sending Titus to visit you again]. God has caused him to be just as eager [to help you prepare your gift] as I am. I thank God for that.

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

[He is going there], not only because we urged him to go, but because he himself is very eager [to visit you again].

18 misimus etiam cum illo fratrem cuius laus est in evangelio per omnes ecclesias

I am sending with Titus another believer [whom you know well]. All the groups of believers [in this area] think highly of him because he has [faithfully taught] the good message [about Christ].

19 non solum autem sed et ordinatus ab ecclesiis comes peregrinationis nostrae in hac gratia quae ministratur a nobis ad Domini gloriam et destinatam voluntatem nostram

Not only that, but he was appointed by the congregations [in this area] {the congregations [in this area] appointed him} to [go] to Jerusalem with us [(exc)]. He [will go] with us [when we take] the generous gift of money [EUP] [to the believers in Jerusalem. We are taking this] gift to honor the Lord [Jesus] and to show them that we all [very much] want to [help them].

20 devitantes hoc ne quis nos vituperet in hac plenitudine quae ministratur a nobis

[The believers have] given money [EUP] generously. So, [by sending that fellow believer along with Titus] to take the money [to Jerusalem], we are trying to make sure that no one will be able to accuse us [(exc) of taking some of the money for ourselves].

21 providemus enim bona non solum coram Deo sed etiam coram hominibus

[I say that] because we [(exc)] want to make sure that the Lord [God] will see that what we [(exc)] do is right, and other people will see it, too.

22 misimus autem cum illis et fratrem nostrum quem probavimus in multis saepe sollicitum esse nunc autem multo sollicitiorem confidentia multa in vos

Furthermore, there is also another believer [here] whom we are sending [to you along with the two] men [whom I have just mentioned]. Many times I have seen his good work [for the Lord], and I know that he is eager [to serve the Lord]. Now, because he knows for sure that you [want to give this gift the same as other believers do], he is even more eager than he was before [to go with the two other men].

23 sive pro Tito qui est socius meus et in vos adiutor sive fratres nostri apostoli ecclesiarum gloriae Christi

As for Titus, [I have chosen him because] he is my partner, and he has worked faithfully with me [to help you]. As for the other two men, the congregations [in this area] are sending them as their messengers. These two men honor Christ [by everything they do].

24 ostensionem ergo quae est caritatis vestrae et nostrae gloriae pro vobis in illos ostendite in faciem ecclesiarum

So then, show them that you truly love [others], and [in that way] help other congregations to understand [why] we [(exc)] are always saying such good things about you.