| English Standard Version | King James Bible |
| 1Now it is superfluous for me to write to you about the ministry for the saints, | 1For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you: |
| 2for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year. And your zeal has stirred up most of them. | 2For 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. |
| 3But I am sending the brothers so that our boasting about you may not prove empty in this matter, so that you may be ready, as I said you would be. | 3Yet 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: |
| 4Otherwise, if some Macedonians come with me and find that you are not ready, we would be humiliated—to say nothing of you—for being so confident. | 4Lest 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. |
| 5So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for the gift you have promised, so that it may be ready as a willing gift, not as an exaction. | 5Therefore 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. |
| 6The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. | 6But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. |
| 7Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. | 7Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. |
| 8And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. | 8And 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: |
| 9As it is written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” | 9(As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever. |
| 10He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. | 10Now 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;) |
| 11You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. | 11Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God. |
| 12For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. | 12For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God; |
| 13By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, | 13Whiles 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; |
| 14while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. | 14And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you. |
| 15Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift! | 15Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. |
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