The Collection for Christians in Jerusalem

¹Now lit is superfluous for me to write to you about mthe ministry for the saints, ²for I know your readiness, nof which I boast about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that Achaia has been ready osince last year. And your zeal has stirred up most of them. ³But pI am sending1 the brothers so that our boasting about you may not prove empty in this matter, so that you may be ready, qas I said you would be. ⁴Otherwise, if some Macedonians rcome with me and find that you are not ready, we would be humiliated—to say nothing of you—for being so confident. ⁵So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for the sgift2 you have promised, so that it may be ready tas a willing gift, unot as an exaction.3

The Cheerful Giver

⁶The point is this: vwhoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully4 will also reap bountifully. ⁷Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, wnot reluctantly or under compulsion, for xGod loves a cheerful giver. ⁸And yGod is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency5 in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. ⁹As it is written,

z“He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor;

his righteousness endures forever.”

¹⁰He who supplies aseed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and bincrease the harvest of your righteousness. ¹¹cYou will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which dthrough us will produce thanksgiving to God. ¹²For the ministry of this service is not only supplying ethe needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. ¹³By their approval of this service, fthey6 will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your gconfession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, ¹⁴while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. ¹⁵hThanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!

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