9 I do not need to write to you about the money that you want to send to God's people in Jerusalem. 2 I know that you want to help very much. I have told the believers in Macedonia how good you are. I tell them that you believers in Achaia have been ready to give your money since last year. Because you are so ready to help, most of them now also want to help. 3 But I do not want the way that I have praised you not to be true. So I am sending these men, our Christian friends, to come to you. I want to be sure that you will be ready to give your money. That is what I have told people about you.
4 Perhaps some believers from Macedonia might come with me. If you are not ready when we come, we would be ashamed. We would be ashamed because we trusted you. And I think that you would be ashamed as well! 5 So I decided to tell these men to visit you before I come myself. They will help you to prepare the gift that you promised. Then it will be ready when I arrive. Everyone will know that you really wanted to give this gift. Nobody has made you give it.
6 Remember this: If a farmer plants only a few seeds, he will not get much as a result. But if he plants plenty of seeds, he will get a big harvest. 7 Each of you should think carefully and then decide how much you can give. Then you will not be sad to give that money. Nobody has made you give it. God loves someone who is happy to give help to other people.
8 Since God loves you, he is able to give you more than you need. You will always have every good thing that you need for yourselves. And you will have enough to do many good things to help other people. 9 The Bible says this about someone who helps other people:
‘He has shared his things with many poor people.
God will always remember how kind that person has been.’ [ a ]
10 It is God who supplies seeds for the farmer to plant. It is God who supplies bread for food. God will help you in the same way. He will give you plenty of things so that you can help other people. You will be like a farmer who plants many seeds. And God will cause those seeds to grow. There will be many good results from the help that you give to other people. That will be like a great harvest. 11 God will make you rich with many good things. As a result, you will always be able to give plenty to other people. Many people will thank God because of your gifts that we take to them.
12 This good work that you are doing is helping God's people. It is helping to supply what they need. And it is not only doing that. It is also causing many people to thank God very much. 13 Your gift of money will show people that you really want to help. People will say that God is great. They will see that you want to obey God. They will see that you are happy to give to them, and to everyone else. They will see that you really believe the good news about Christ, as you say you do. 14 They will want to thank you. They will pray to God for you. They will do that because they see how very kind God has been to you.
15 Yes, we should all thank God for his very great gift. [ b ] That gift is too great to describe it with words!
9 I really don’t need to write to you about this help for God’s people. 2 I know that you want to help. I have been bragging about you to the people in Macedonia. I told them that you people in Achaia have been ready to give since last year. And your desire to give has made most of the people here ready to give also. 3 But I am sending these brothers to you. I don’t want our bragging about you in this to be for nothing. I want you to be ready just as I said you would be. 4 If any of those from Macedonia come with me, and they find that you are not ready, we will be ashamed. We will be ashamed that we were so sure of you. And you will be ashamed too! 5 So I thought that I should ask these brothers to come there before we do. They will help in getting together the generous gift you promised. Then it will be ready when we come, and it will be seen as a blessing you are giving, not as something you were forced to do.
6 Remember this: The one who plants few seeds will have a small harvest. But the one who plants a lot will have a big harvest. 7 Each one of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give. You should not give if it makes you unhappy or if you feel forced to give. God loves those who are happy to give. 8 And God can give you more blessings than you need, and you will always have plenty of everything. You will have enough to give to every good work. 9 As the Scriptures say,
“He gives generously to the poor;
his goodness will continue forever.” ( A )
10 God is the one who gives seed to those who plant, and he gives bread for food. And God will give you spiritual seed and make that seed grow. He will produce a great harvest from your goodness. 11 God will make you rich in every way so that you can always give freely. And your giving through us will make people give thanks to God.
12 The service you are offering helps God’s people with their needs, but that is not all it does. It is also bringing more and more thanks to God. 13 This service is a proof of your faith, and people will praise God because of it. They will praise God that you freely share what you have with them and with all people. They will praise him to see you following the Good News about Christ that you openly accepted. They will praise God because you freely share with them and with all people. 14 And when they pray, they will wish they could be with you. They will feel this way because of the great grace that God gave you. 15 Thanks be to God for his gift that is too wonderful to describe.
9 For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you:
2 For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many.
3 Yet have I sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf; that, as I said, ye may be ready:
4 Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting.
5 Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness.
6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
8 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:
9 (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.
10 Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)
11 Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.
12 For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God;
13 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;
14 And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you.
15 Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
9 For ( A ) it is superfluous for me to write to you about this ( B ) ministry to the [ a ] saints; 2 for I know your willingness, of which I ( C ) boast about you to the ( D ) Macedonians, namely , that ( E ) Achaia has been prepared since ( F ) last year, and your zeal has stirred up most of them. 3 But I have sent the brothers, in order that our ( G ) boasting about you may not prove empty in this case, so that, ( H ) as I was saying, you will be prepared; 4 otherwise, if any ( I ) Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we—not to mention you—would be put to shame by this confidence. 5 So I considered it necessary to urge the ( J ) brothers that they go on ahead to you and arrange in advance your previously promised [ b ] ( K ) generous gift, that the same would be ready as a [ c ] ( L ) generous gift, and not as one grudgingly given due to greediness.
6 Now I say this: ( M ) the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows [ d ] generously will also reap [ e ] generously. 7 Each one must do just as he has decided in his heart, not ( N ) reluctantly or under compulsion, for ( O ) God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And ( P ) God is able to make all grace overflow to you, so that, always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; 9 as it is written:
10 Now He who supplies ( R ) seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and ( S ) increase the harvest of your righteousness; 11 you will be ( T ) enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing ( U ) thanksgiving to God. 12 For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying ( V ) the needs of the [ g ] saints, but is also overflowing ( W ) through many thanksgivings to God. 13 Because of the proof given by this ( X ) ministry, they will ( Y ) glorify God for your obedience to your ( Z ) confession of the ( AA ) gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your [ h ] contribution to them and to all, 14 while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you. 15 ( AB ) Thanks be to God for His indescribable ( AC ) gift!
9 There is no need ( A ) for me to write to you about this service ( B ) to the Lord’s people. ( C ) 2 For I know your eagerness to help, ( D ) and I have been boasting ( E ) about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year ( F ) you in Achaia ( G ) were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action. 3 But I am sending the brothers ( H ) in order that our boasting about you in this matter should not prove hollow, but that you may be ready, as I said you would be. ( I ) 4 For if any Macedonians ( J ) come with me and find you unprepared, we—not to say anything about you—would be ashamed of having been so confident. 5 So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers ( K ) to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift, ( L ) not as one grudgingly given. ( M )
6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. ( N ) 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, ( O ) not reluctantly or under compulsion, ( P ) for God loves a cheerful giver. ( Q ) 8 And God is able ( R ) to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, ( S ) you will abound in every good work. 9 As it is written:
“They have freely scattered their gifts ( T ) to the poor;
their righteousness endures forever.” [ a ] ( U )
10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food ( V ) will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. ( W ) 11 You will be enriched ( X ) in every way so that you can be generous ( Y ) on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. ( Z )
12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs ( AA ) of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. ( AB ) 13 Because of the service ( AC ) by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God ( AD ) for the obedience that accompanies your confession ( AE ) of the gospel of Christ, ( AF ) and for your generosity ( AG ) in sharing with them and with everyone else. 14 And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. 15 Thanks be to God ( AH ) for his indescribable gift! ( AI )
