¹ Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God which hath been bestowed in the churches of Macedonia;

² that under a great trial of distress the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty increased the riches of their liberality;

³ for according to their power, I bear witness, and beyond their power, they gave of their own accord,

⁴ begging of us with much entreaty the favor of sharing in the ministration to the saints;

⁵ and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and to us by the will of God;

⁶ so that we urged Titus, that, as he had already made a beginning, so he would also finish among you this bounty also.

⁷ But as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and all earnestness, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this exercise of liberality also.

⁸ I speak not by way of command, but by reason of the earnestness of others, and to prove the genuineness of your love.

⁹ For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

¹⁰ And I only give an opinion in this matter. For this is expedient for you, who began before others, not only to do, but also to be willing, a year ago.

¹¹ 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.

¹² For if there be first the willing mind, it is accepted according to what a man hath, not according to what he hath not.

¹³ For it is not that others may be eased, and you burdened,

¹⁴ but to make an equality; at the present season your abundance meeting their deficiency, that their abundance may at another time meet your deficiency; that there may be equality;

¹⁵ as it is written: "He that gathered much, had nothing over; and he that gathered little, had no lack."

¹⁶ But thanks be to God, who put the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus;

¹⁷ for he accepted indeed the exhortation; but being very earnest, he went of his own accord to you.

¹⁸ And we have sent with him the brother, whose praise in the gospel is throughout all the churches;

¹⁹ and not that only, but who was also appointed by the churches as our fellow-traveler in the matter of this bounty, which is administered by us to the honor of the Lord himself, and of our ready mind;

²⁰ since we are careful of this, that no one should blame us in our management of this abundant liberality;

²¹ for we take forethought for what is honorable, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.

²² And we have sent with them our brother, whom we have often in many things proved to be zealous, but now much more zealous through the great confidence which he hath in you.

²³ As to Titus, he is my partner and fellow-laborer for you; as to our brethren, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ.

²⁴ Display to them, therefore, before the churches, the proof of your love, and of what we have boasted on your behalf.