Now therefore perform the deed, that as there was in you a readiness to will, even so ye may perform the deed, of that which ye have.

If a man is ready and willing to give, his gift is acceptable in accordance with what he has, not with what he does not have.

Not that others should have relief while you have hardship. Rather, it is a question of fairness.

but to equalize the burden, and in the present situation to have your plenty make up for what they need, so that some day their plenty may make up for what you need, and so things may be made equal??15 as the Scripture says, "The man who got much did not have too much, and the man who got little did not have too little."

just as the Scripture says, "The man who gathered much did not have too much, and the man who gathered little did not have too little."

But thanks be to God, who kindles in the heart of Titus the same enthusiasm for you that I have;

We have sent with him that brother whose laud is in the gospel throughout all the congregations:

And not only so, but he was marked out by the churches to go with us in the grace of this giving which we have undertaken to the glory of the Lord and to make clear that our mind was ready:

I mean to have no one able to find any fault with the way I handle this munificence.

For the business has been so ordered by us as to have the approval, not only of the Lord, but of men.

We have sent with them a brother of ours, whom we have oft times proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent. The great confidence which I have in you

Wherefore show unto them the proof of your love, and of the rejoicing that we have of you, that the congregations may see it.

for I have known your readiness of mind, which in your behalf I boast of to Macedonians, that Achaia hath been prepared a year ago, and the zeal of you did stir up the more part,

Nevertheless, yet have I sent these brethren, lest our rejoicing over you should be in vain in this behalf, and that ye - as I have said - prepare yourselves,

So I have thought it necessary to ask these brothers to go on to you ahead of me, to arrange in advance for this gift you have promised, so as to have it ready, like an expression of your good will, not of your avarice.

But in the Writings it says, He who puts in only a small number of seeds, will get in the same; and he who puts them in from a full hand, will have produce in full measure from them.

Each of you must give what you have decided in your heart, not with regret or under compulsion, since God loves a cheerful giver.

God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance so that you will always have enough for every situation, and ample means for every good enterprise:

You will be made rich in everything so you can be generous in every way. This will result in people thanking God [for what you have done] through us.

For when, through this work of giving, they see what you are, they give glory to God for the way in which you have given yourselves to the good news of Christ, and for the wealth of your giving to them and to all;

and you will have the advantage of their earnest prayers, for the exceeding favour God has bestowed upon them by you:

Praise be to God for what he has given, which words have no power to say.

And I, Paul, myself, do call upon you -- through the meekness and gentleness of the Christ -- who in presence, indeed am humble among you, and being absent, have courage toward you,

and I beseech you, that, being present, I may not have courage, with the confidence with which I reckon to be bold against certain reckoning us as walking according to the flesh;

For the weapons of our warfare are not those of the world. Instead, they have the power of God to demolish fortresses. We tear down arguments

and am prepared to punish any trace of disobedience when you have made your obedience perfectly clear.

You look at me and measure me by outward appearances. If anyone is confident in himself that he belongs to Christ, let him have another thought about himself, that just as he belongs to Christ, so do I.

For suppose I do boast a little too much of my authority??hich the Lord gave me to build you up, not to pull you down?? will not have to blush for it.

That I may not seem to have the desire of causing you fear by my letters.

For his letters, they say, have weight and are strong; but in body he is feeble, and his way of talking has little force.

For we will not presume to put ourselves on the level, or compare ourselves with some who vaunt themselves; but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, have no understanding.

For we stretch not out ourselves beyond measure as though we had not reached unto you. For even unto you have we come with the gospel of 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 could have borne with a little foolish boasting on my part. Nay, do bear with me.

For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

But I have a fear, that in some way, as Eve was tricked by the deceit of the snake, your minds may be turned away from their simple and holy love for Christ.

For if he that cometh to you preach another Jesus than him whom we preached, or if ye receive another spirit than that which ye have received, either another gospel than that ye have received; ye might right well have been content.

for I reckon that I have been nothing behind the very chiefest apostles,

Even if I have no particular gifts in speaking, I am not wanting in knowledge. Why, I have always made that perfectly clear in my dealings with you.

Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?

by taking wages of other churches, I may have injured them, to do you service.

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.

Why? because I have no love for you? let God be judge.

I repeat, no one should think me a fool, but if you do, show me at least the patience you would show a fool, and let me have my little boast like the others.

You tolerate anyone who makes you his slaves, devours what you have, takes what is yours, orders you around, or slaps your face!

I am ashamed to admit it, but we have been too weak for that. Whatever anyone else dares to claim I am talking like a fool I can claim it, too.

Are they the Messiah's servants? I am insane to talk like this, but I am a far better one! I have been involved in far greater efforts, far more imprisonments, countless beatings, and have faced death more than once.

Five times I have been given one less than forty lashes, by the Jews.

Thrice was I beaten with rods. I was once stoned. I suffered thrice shipwreck. Night and day have I been in the deep of the sea.

In journeying often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers; in jeopardies of mine own nation, in jeopardies among the heathen. I have been in perils in cities, in perils in wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;

I have been in hardship and toil; often in watchings; in hunger and thirst; often in fastings; in cold and nakedness;

Besides everything else, I have a daily burden because of my anxiety about all the churches.

Who is weak, and I do not feel [his] weakness? Who is made to sin, and I am not on fire [with sorrow and concern]?

If I have to take credit to myself, I will do so in the things in which I am feeble.

In the city of Damascus, the governor of the people under king Aretas, laid watch in the city of the Damascenes, and would have caught me,

I have to boast. There is nothing to be gained by it, but I will go on to visions and revelations given me by the Lord.

I have known a man in Christ, fourteen years ago -- whether in the body I have not known, whether out of the body I have not known, God hath known -- such an one being caught away unto the third heaven;

and I have known such a man -- whether in the body, whether out of the body, I have not known, God hath known, --

On account of such a one I will have glory: for myself I will take no glory, but only in my feeble body.

(If I did care to boast of other things, I would be no 'fool,' for I would have a true tale to tell; however, I abstain from that ??I want no one to take me for more than he can see in me or make out from me.)

and lest I should be exalted above measure by the extraordinary revelations I have had, I was afflicted in my person, so that the messenger of satan insulted me; concerning which,

Three times I have prayed to the Lord about this, begging that it might leave me,

but he told me, "It is enough for you to have my grace: it is in weakness that [my] power is fully felt." So I am proud to boast of all my weakness, and thus to have the power of Christ resting on my life.

Therefore have I delectation in infirmities, in rebukes, in need, in persecutions, in anguish, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong.

I am made a fool in boasting myself. Ye have compelled me: I ought to have been commended of you. For in nothing was I inferior unto the chief apostles, though I be nothing:

The marks indeed of an apostle have been shewn among you with all patience, by signs, and wonders, and miracles.

For what is there wherein ye have been inferior to the other churches, except that I have not been burdensome to you? Forgive me this wrong.

Here it is the third time that I have been ready to come to see you, and I do not intend to be a burden to you now; for it is not your money but yourselves that I want; for children are not expected to lay up money for their parents, but parents for their children.

And I will be glad to spend all I have and all I am for your sake. Are you going to love me the less for loving you so intensely?

Granting that I have not been a burden to you, was I a clever schemer who trapped you by some trick?

any one of those whom I have sent unto you -- by him did I take advantage of you?

I begged Titus, and sent the brother with him: did Titus at all make gain of you? have we not walked in the same spirit? have we not in the same steps?

Have you been thinking all along that we are trying to defend ourselves before you? We are speaking before God in the authority of the Messiah, and everything, dear friends, is meant to build you up.

For I have a fear that, when I come, you may not be answering to my desire, and that I may not be answering to yours; that there may be fighting, hate, angry feeling, divisions, evil talk about others, secrets, thoughts of pride, outbursts against authority;

I fear lest when I come again, God bring me low among you, and I be constrained to bewail many of them which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness, and fornication, and wantonness which they have committed.

I told you before, and tell you before, and as I said when I was present with you the second time, so write I now, being absent, to them which in time past have sinned, and to all others: that if I come again, I will not spare;

That will prove to you that I am indeed a spokesman of Christ. It is no weak Christ you have to do with, but a Christ of power.

I hope you will realize that we haven't failed our test.

We pray to God that you will not do anything wrong not to show that we have not failed the test, but so that you may do what is right, even if we seem to have failed.

For I have no power against the truth, but only in defense of the truth.

This is why I am writing this while far away from you, that when I do come, I may not have to deal harshly with you in accordance with the authority which the Lord has given me, for building you up, not for tearing you down.

Now brothers, goodbye; mend your ways, listen to what I have told you, live in harmony, keep the peace; then the God of love and peace will be with you.