2 Corinthians 9

¹⁰Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to the family of faith.

⁴they earnestly pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.

⁵And not only did they do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us, through the will of God.

⁹Now about brotherly love, you do not need anyone to write to you, because you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another.

¹⁰And you are indeed showing this love to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to excel more and more

¹Now about the times and seasons, brothers, we do not need to write to you.

¹⁰They only asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.

¹²For this ministry of service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanksgiving to God.

¹³Because of the proof this ministry provides, the saints will glorify God for your obedient confession of the gospel of Christ, and for the generosity of your contribution to them and to all the others.

¹⁰And this is my opinion about what is helpful for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give, but even to have such a desire.

⁸I am not giving a command, but I am testing the sincerity of your love through the earnestness of others.

²⁴In full view of the churches, then, show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our boasting about you.

¹⁵You know that Stephanas and his household were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints. Now I urge you, brothers,

²⁴And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds.

¹⁹More than that, this brother was chosen by the churches to accompany us with the gracious offering we administer to honor the Lord Himself and to show our eagerness to help.

⁶So we urged Titus to help complete your act of grace, just as he had started it.

⁴Otherwise, if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we—to say nothing of you—would be ashamed of having been so confident.

⁵So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you beforehand and make arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. This way, your gift will be prepared generously and not begrudgingly.

¹Now about the collection for the saints, you are to do as I directed the churches of Galatia:

²On the first day of every week, each of you should set aside a portion of his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will be needed.

¹⁴Indeed, I was not embarrassed by anything I had boasted to him about you. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting to Titus has proved to be true as well.

¹⁷For not only did he welcome our appeal, but he is eagerly coming to you of his own volition.

¹⁸Along with Titus we are sending the brother who is praised by all the churches for his work in the gospel.

¹Remind the believers to submit to rulers and authorities, to be obedient and ready for every good work,

²⁶For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.

¹Now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the churches of Macedonia.

²In the terrible ordeal they suffered, their abundant joy and deep poverty overflowed into rich generosity.

¹⁷In this confident boasting of mine, I am not speaking as the Lord would, but as a fool.

²⁴In full view of the churches, then, show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our boasting about you.

²For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting to the Macedonians that since last year you in Achaia were prepared to give. And your zeal has stirred most of them to do likewise.

¹¹Please accept my gift that was brought to you, because God has been gracious to me and I have all I need.” So Jacob pressed him until he accepted.

²⁷Now let this gift your servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who follow you.

¹⁷Not that I am seeking a gift, but I am looking for the fruit that may be credited to your account.

⁶So we urged Titus to help complete your act of grace, just as he had started it.

¹⁵“Give me a blessing,” she answered. “Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me springs of water as well.” So Caleb gave her both the upper and lower springs.

²⁶When David arrived in Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, “Here is a gift for you from the plunder of the Lord’s enemies.”

²⁴One gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds what is right, only to become poor.

²⁵A generous soul will prosper, and he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

³⁸Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”

⁹A generous man will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.

¹⁷Kindness to the poor is a loan to the Lord, and He will repay the lender.

¹⁰Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your store of seed and will increase the harvest of your righteousness.

⁷Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return.

⁸The one who sows to please his flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

¹²For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.

³⁵In everything, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus Himself: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

¹⁷I know, my God, that You test the heart and delight in uprightness. All these things I have given willingly and with an upright heart, and now I have seen Your people who are present here giving joyfully and willingly to You.

²⁵A generous soul will prosper, and he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

²“Tell the Israelites to bring Me an offering. You are to receive My offering from every man whose heart compels him.

⁷If there is a poor man among your brothers within any of the gates in the land that the Lord your God is giving you, then you are not to harden your heart or shut your hand from your poor brother.

⁸Instead, you are to open your hand to him and freely loan him whatever he needs.

²⁰Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us,

¹⁸I have all I need and more, now that I have received your gifts from Epaphroditus. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.

¹⁹And my God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

²²The blessing of the Lord enriches, and He adds no sorrow to it.

¹⁰Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this,” says the Lord of Hosts. “See if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour out for you blessing without measure.

⁸The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine, declares the Lord of Hosts.

²⁷Whoever gives to the poor will not be in need, but he who hides his eyes will receive many curses.

⁹He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be lifted high in honor.

³Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.

²¹He who pursues righteousness and loving devotion finds life, righteousness, and honor.

¹⁸With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and righteousness.

⁵But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the hope of righteousness.

⁶For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. What matters is faith expressing itself through love.

⁸For the moth will devour them like a garment, and the worm will eat them like wool. But My righteousness will last forever, My salvation through all generations.”

¹⁰For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return without watering the earth, making it bud and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat,

¹²Sow for yourselves righteousness and reap the fruit of loving devotion; break up your unplowed ground. For it is time to seek the Lord until He comes and sends righteousness upon you like rain.

⁶Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

⁶Sow your seed in the morning, and do not rest your hands in the evening, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or if both will equally prosper.

¹⁸The wicked man earns an empty wage, but he who sows righteousness reaps a true reward.

¹²And may the Lord cause you to increase and overflow with love for one another and for everyone else, just as our love for you overflows,

¹⁷Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be conceited and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of wealth, but in God, who richly provides all things for us to enjoy.

¹⁸Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, and to be generous and ready to share,

¹⁵All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is extending to more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow, to the glory of God.

¹²Both riches and honor come from You, and You are the ruler over all. In Your hands are power and might to exalt and give strength to all.

¹³Now therefore, our God, we give You thanks, and we praise Your glorious name.

¹²For this ministry of service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanksgiving to God.

⁹Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your crops;

¹⁰then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.

¹¹as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the favor shown us in answer to their prayers.

⁴I always thank my God, remembering you in my prayers,

⁵because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints.

¹⁴At the present time, your surplus will meet their need, so that in turn their surplus will meet your need. This way there will be equality.

¹⁵As it is written: “He who gathered much had no excess, and he who gathered little had no shortfall.”

²⁵But I thought it necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger and minister to my needs.

¹⁴What good is it, my brothers, if someone claims to have faith, but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?

¹⁵Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.

¹⁷If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him?

⁴they earnestly pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.

¹⁶And do not neglect to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

¹⁶In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

²⁴And they glorified God because of me.

¹²Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and a door stood open for me in the Lord,

⁹But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

²³Let us hold resolutely to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.

¹Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you must stand firm in the Lord, my beloved.

¹⁴And the grace of our Lord overflowed to me, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

¹⁶May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he has often refreshed me and was unashamed of my chains.

¹⁷Indeed, when he arrived in Rome, he searched diligently until he found me.

¹⁸I have all I need and more, now that I have received your gifts from Epaphroditus. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.

¹⁹And my God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

⁶So we urged Titus to help complete your act of grace, just as he had started it.

⁷But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness, and in the love we inspired in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

¹¹For I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you,

¹⁴But thanks be to God, who always leads us triumphantly as captives in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.

¹⁶For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

²⁰always giving thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

³²He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, freely give us all things?

¹⁷Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow.

⁵⁷But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!