2 Corinthians 8
1 Pẹ̀lúpẹ̀lú, ará, àwa ń sọ fún yín ní ti oore-ọ̀fẹ́ Ọlọ́run tí a fífún àwọn ìjọ Makedonia.
We want to remind you, friends, of the love that God has shown to the churches in Macedonia –
2 Bí ó ti jẹ́ pé a dán wọn wò nípa ìpọ́njú, ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀ ayọ̀ àti àìlódiwọ̀n àìní wọn ti kún àkúnwọ́sílẹ̀ nínú ọ̀rọ̀ ìlawọ́ wọn.
How, tired though they were by many a trouble, their overflowing happiness, and even their deep poverty, resulted in a flood of generosity.
3 Nítorí mo jẹ́rìí pé gẹ́gẹ́ bí agbára wọn, àní ju agbára wọn, wọ́n ṣe é láti ìfẹ́ inú ara wọn.
I can bear witness that to the full extent of their power, and even beyond their power, spontaneously,
4 Wọ́n ń fi ẹ̀bẹ̀ púpọ̀ rọ̀ wá ní ti ẹ̀bùn àtinúwá yìí, láti ba à lè ní ìpín nínú iṣẹ́ ìránṣẹ́ fún àwọn ènìyàn mímọ́.
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 Àti èyí, kì í ṣe bí àwa tí rò rí, ṣùgbọ́n wọ́n tètè kọ́ fi àwọn fúnra wọn fún Olúwa, àti fún wá, nípa ìfẹ́ Ọlọ́run.
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 Tó bẹ́ẹ̀ tí àwa fi gba Titu níyànjú pé, bí ó tí bẹ̀rẹ̀ náà, bẹ́ẹ̀ ni kí ó sì parí ẹ̀bùn ọ̀fẹ́ yìí nínú yín pẹ̀lú.
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 Ṣùgbọ́n bí ẹ̀yin ti pọ̀ lóhùn gbogbo, ní ìgbàgbọ́, àti ọ̀rọ̀ àti ìmọ̀, àti nínú iṣẹ́ ìyìnrere gbogbo, àti ní ìfẹ́ yín sí wa, ẹ rí i wí pé ẹ̀yin pọ̀ sí i nínú ẹ̀bùn ọ̀fẹ́ yìí pẹ̀lú.
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 Kì í ṣe nípa àṣẹ ni mo fi ń sọ ọ́, ṣùgbọ́n kí a lè rí ìdí òtítọ́ ìfẹ́ yín pẹ̀lú, nípa iṣẹ́ ìyìnrere ẹlòmíràn.
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 Nítorí ẹ̀yin mọ oore-ọ̀fẹ́ Olúwa wa Jesu Kristi, pé bí òun ti jẹ́ ọlọ́rọ̀ rí ṣùgbọ́n nítorí yín ó di tálákà kí a lè sọ yín di ọlọ́rọ̀ nípa àìní rẹ̀.
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 Àti nínú èyí ni mo fi ìmọ̀ràn mi fún yín, nítorí èyí ṣe àǹfààní fún yín, ẹ̀yin tí ó kọ́kọ́ bẹ̀rẹ̀ níwọ̀n ọdún tí ó kọjá, kì í ṣe láti ṣe nǹkan, ṣùgbọ́n láti fẹ́ pẹ̀lú.
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 Ǹjẹ́ nísinsin yìí, ẹ parí ṣíṣe iṣẹ́ náà pẹ̀lú; kí ó ba à lè ṣe pé, bí ìpinnu fún ṣíṣe ti wà, bẹ́ẹ̀ ni kí ìparí sì wà láti inú agbára yín.
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 Nítorí bí ìpinnu bá wà ṣáájú, ó jásí ìtẹ́wọ́gbà gẹ́gẹ́ bí ohun tí ènìyàn bá ní, kì í ṣe gẹ́gẹ́ bí ohun tí kò ní.
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 Nítorí èmi kò fẹ́ kí àwọn ẹlòmíràn wà ní ìrọ̀rùn, kí ó sì jẹ́ ìpọ́njú fún yín, ṣùgbọ́n pé nípa mímú dọ́gba.
For our object is not to give relief to others and bring distress on you. It is a matter of a fair balance.
14 Ní àkókò yìí, pé kí àníṣẹ́kù yín lè ṣe déédé àìní wọn, kí àníṣẹ́kù tiwọn pẹ̀lú ba à lè ṣe déédé àìní yín, kí ìmúdọ́gba ba à lè wà.
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 Gẹ́gẹ́ bí a ti kọ ọ́ pé, “Ẹni tí ó kó púpọ̀ kò ní púpọ̀ jù, bẹ́ẹ̀ ni ẹni tí ó kó ìwọ̀nba kò ní kéré jù.”
As scripture says – ‘Those who had much had nothing over, and those who had little did not lack!’
16 Ṣùgbọ́n ọpẹ́ ní fún Ọlọ́run ẹni tí ó fi ìtara àníyàn kan náà yìí sí ọkàn Titu fún yín.
I thank God for inspiring Titus with the same keen interest in your welfare that I have;
17 Nítorí kì í ṣe pé òun gba ọ̀rọ̀ ìyànjú wa nìkan ni; ṣùgbọ́n bí òun ti ní ìtara púpọ̀, òun tìkára rẹ̀ tọ̀ yín wá, fúnra rẹ̀.
for Titus has responded to my appeals and, in his great earnestness, is starting to go to you of his own accord.
18 Àwa ti rán arákùnrin náà pẹ̀lú rẹ̀, ìyìn ẹni tí ó wà nínú ìyìnrere yíká gbogbo ìjọ.
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 Kì í sì í ṣe bẹ́ẹ̀ nìkan, ṣùgbọ́n ẹni tí a tí yàn wá pẹ̀lú láti ọ̀dọ̀ ìjọ láti máa bá wa rìn kiri nínú ọ̀rọ̀ oore-ọ̀fẹ́ yìí, tí àwa ń ṣe ìránṣẹ́ rẹ̀ fún ògo Olúwa àti ìmúra ìtara wa.
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 Àwa ń yẹra fún èyí, kí ẹnikẹ́ni má ba à rí wí sí wa ní ti ẹ̀bùn àtinúwá yìí tí àwa pín.
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 Àwa ń gbèrò ohun rere, kì í ṣe níwájú Olúwa nìkan, ṣùgbọ́n níwájú ènìyàn pẹ̀lú.
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 Àwa sì ti rán arákùnrin wa pẹ̀lú wọn, ẹni tí àwa rí dájú nígbà púpọ̀ pé ó ní ìtara nínú ohun púpọ̀, ṣùgbọ́n ní ìsinsin yìí ni ìtara rẹ̀ túbọ̀ pọ̀ sí i nípa ìfọkàntán ńlá tí ó ní sí yín.
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 Bí ẹnikẹ́ni bá béèrè ẹni tí Titu jẹ́, ẹlẹgbẹ́ àti olùbáṣiṣẹ́ mi ni, nítorí yín; tàbí ní ti àwọn arákùnrin wa ni ẹnikẹ́ni ń béèrè, ìránṣẹ́ ìjọ ni wọ́n jẹ́, àti ògo Kristi.
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 Nítorí náà ẹ fi ẹ̀rí ìfẹ́ yín hàn wọ́n níwájú ìjọ, àti ìṣògo wa nítorí yín.
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.
