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1 And we make known to you, brothers, the grace of God having been given in the churches of Macedonia,
2 that in severe trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their poverty according to depth(=extreme poverty) have overflowed in the riches of their generosity,
3 that (they gave) according to (their) power, I testify, and beyond (their) power, of their own will(=voluntarily),
4 with much appeal(=much earnestly) begging us the grace(=gift) and the fellowship of the ministry(=in the ministering) to the saints,
5 and not only as we hoped, but first they gave themselves to the Lord and (then) to us through(=by) the will of God,
6 for the us to urge Titus(=so we urged Titus), as he had already began, so he would also complete this grace among you.
7 But as you abound in everything – (in) faith, [and] (in) speech, [and] (in) knowledge, [and] all eagerness, and in your love for us - that you may abound in this grace also.
8 I do not say by commandment, but testifying(=I am testing) the sincerity of your love through the eagerness of others.
9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that for your sake he became poor, being rich(=though he was rich), so that you (through) the poverty of that One(=by his poverty) might become rich.
10 And in this I give advice, for this is appropriate (for) you, who began from last year(=a year ago), not only to do but also to will(=to desire).
11 And finish now the thing to do, that as (there was) the eagerness [of the] to will(=to desire), so also the to finish(=so there also may be the completion) out of the thing to have(=what you have).
12 For if the eagerness is there, it is acceptable according to what one [may] has, not according to what one does not have.
13 For (I) do not (mean) that (there should be) relief (for) others (and) hardship (on) you, but by equality,
14 at the present time, your abundance (may be) for their lack, that their abundance also might(=may) be for your lack, that there might(=may) be equality.
15 As it has been written, “He (who gathered) [the] much did not abound(=have too much), and he (who gathered) little did not have too little.”
16 And thanks (be) to [the] God giving the same eagerness for you into the heart of Titus.
17 For he not only accepted the(=our) appeal, but being more eager, he went (to) you of his own accord(=voluntarily).
18 And we sent with him the brother whose praise (is) in the gospel throughout all the churches,
19 and not only that, but also having been elected(=he has been appointed) by the churches (as) our travelling companion(=to travel with us) with this grace(=gift) being administered by us to the glory of the Lord himself and (to show) our eagerness,
20 avoiding this(=We want to avoid this), [not] (that) anyone should blame us in this abundance(=generous gift) being administered by us.
21 For we have a care for good things(=what is honorable) not only before (the) Lord but also before men.
22 And we have sent with them our bother whom we have often proved, being(=and who has been) eager in many things, but (who is) now much more eager (because of his) great confidence in you.
23 As for Titus, (he is) my partner and fellow worker for you; as for our brothers, (they are) apostles(=messengers) of (the) churches, (the) glory of Christ.
24 Therefore showing(=demonstrate)1 to them, in front of(=before) the churches, the proof of your love and our boasting about you.
Notes
Footnotes
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participle with imperative force ↩