And herein I give my judgment: for this is expedient for you, who were the first to make a beginning a year ago, not only to do, but also to will.

Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have.

for if the willing mind is present, according to that which any one may have it is well-accepted, not according to that which he hath not;

I do not urge you to give in order that others may have relief while you are unduly pressed,

At the present time your abundance [will be] for their need, in order that their abundance may also be for your need, so that there may be equality,

for Titus welcomed our request, and, being thoroughly in earnest, comes to you of his own free will.

And we have sent with him the brother, whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches;

More than that, he has also been selected by the churches to travel with us while we are administering this work of kindness for the glory of the Lord and as evidence of our eagerness to help.

taking precaution so that no one will discredit us in our administration of this generous gift;

And we have sent with them our brother, whose ready spirit has been made clear to us at times and in ways without number, but it is now all the more so because of the certain faith which he has in you.

As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow-worker on your behalf. As for our brothers [i.e., those who will accompany him], they are the messengers of the churches and an honor to Christ.

So let them have proof of how you can love, and of my reasons for being proud of you; it will be a proof read by the churches.

for I know your eagerness [to promote this cause], and I have [proudly] boasted to the people of Macedonia about it, telling them that Achaia has been prepared since last year [for this contribution], and your enthusiasm has inspired the majority of them [to respond].

Still, I am sending the brothers [on to you], so that our pride in you may not be an empty boast in this case, and so that you may be prepared, just as I told them you would be;

otherwise if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we—not to speak of you—will be put to shame by this confidence.

Therefore I considered it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance the generous gift you promised, so that it will be ready as a gift and not as an extortion.

Now [remember] this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows generously [that blessings may come to others] will also reap generously [and be blessed].

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

As it is written and forever remains written,“He [the benevolent and generous person] scattered abroad, he gave to the poor,
His righteousness endures forever!”

Now He who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide and multiply your seed for sowing [that is, your resources] and increase the harvest of your righteousness [which shows itself in active goodness, kindness, and love].

Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.

Because the ministry of this free-will offering is not only supplying the deficiencies of the saints, but also superabounding through much thanksgiving to God;

Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men;

while they themselves also, with supplication on your behalf, long after you by reason of the exceeding grace of God in you.

All thanks to God for his inestimable gift!

Now I Paul, myself, appeal to you by the humble-heartedness and selflessness of Christ??aul who "in your presence is humble, but bold enough when he is absent"??2 I beseech you, and I say, do not make me show my boldness, when I come in the boldness with which I think I shall show my courage against some who think that I am walking on the low level of the flesh.

now I ask [when I] am present [that I will] not [need] to be bold with the confidence [with] which I propose to show boldness toward some who consider us as behaving according to the flesh.

for the weapons of my warfare are not weapons of the flesh, but mighty for God, in pulling down all fortresses.

and all pride that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

Look at this obvious fact. So-and-so is perfectly sure he 'belongs to Christ'? Well then, let him understand, on second thoughts, that I 'belong to Christ' as much as he does.

For even if I boast somewhat more about our authority that the Lord gave [us] {for building you up and not for tearing you down}, I will not be put to shame,

Let such an one think this, that, such as we are in word by letters when we are absent, such will we be also in deed when we are present.

For we will not make comparison of ourselves with some of those who say good things about themselves: but these, measuring themselves by themselves, and making comparison of themselves with themselves, are not wise.

But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you.

It is no strain for me to do this, as it might be for people who had never got so far, for I was the first to come all the way to you with the good news of the Christ.

We are not bragging beyond measure about other people’s labors. But we have the hope that as your faith increases, our area of ministry will be greatly enlarged,

I wish you would bear with me [while I indulge] in a little foolishness; but indeed you are bearing with me [as you read this].

But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.

For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

For I reckon that I am not at all behind the very best apostles.

But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among you in all things.

And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.

[As the] truth of Christ is in me, this boasting {of mine} will not be stopped in the regions of Achaia.

Why? Because I do not love you [or wish you well, or have regard for your welfare]? God knows [that I do]!

But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.

So it is no great surprise if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness, but their end will correspond with their deeds.

To return to what I was saying. Let no one suppose that I am foolish. Or if you must, at any rate make allowance for me as being foolish, in order that I, as well as they, may boast a little.

That I speak, I speak it not after the ways of the Lord: but as it were foolishly, while we are now come to boasting.

Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.

You are wise, so you will gladly be tolerant of fools.

if a man impose upon you, if he preys upon you, if he makes a gain of you, if a man insults you, if he disgracefully assaults you, I mean it as to their reproaches, you take it all;

I say this by way of shaming ourselves, as if we had been feeble. But if anyone puts himself forward (I am talking like a foolish person), I will do the same.

Ministers of Christ? yes perhaps, but not as much as I am (I am mad to talk like this!), with all my labours, with all my lashes, with all my time in prison ??a record longer far than theirs. I have been often at the point of death;

Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.

Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent adrift on the sea;

I have been often on my travels, I have been in danger from rivers and robbers, in danger from Jews and Gentiles, through dangers of town and of desert, through dangers on the sea, through dangers among false brothers ??27 through labour and hardship, through many a sleepless night, through hunger and thirst, starving many a time, cold and ill-clad, and all the rest of it.

Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.