| New King James Version | International Standard Version |
| 1Now concerning the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you; | 1I do not need to write to you any further about the ministry to the saints. |
| 2for I know your willingness, about which I boast of you to the Macedonians, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal has stirred up the majority. | 2For I know how willing you are, and I boast about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year, and your enthusiasm has stimulated most of them. |
| 3Yet I have sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this respect, that, as I said, you may be ready; | 3Now I have sent the brothers so that our boasting about you in this matter may not prove to be an idle boast, and so that you may stand ready, just as I said. |
| 4lest if some Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we (not to mention you!) should be ashamed of this confident boasting. | 4Otherwise, if any Macedonians come with me and find out that you are not ready, we would be humiliated—to say nothing of you—in this undertaking. |
| 5Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time, and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised, that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation. | 5Therefore, I thought it necessary to urge these brothers to visit you ahead of me, to make arrangements in advance for this gift you promised, and to have it ready as something given generously and not forced. |
| 6But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. | 6Remember this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously. |
| 7So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. | 7Each of you must give what you have decided in your heart, not with regret or under compulsion, since God loves a cheerful giver. |
| 8And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. | 8Besides, God is able to make every blessing of yours overflow for you, so that in every situation you will always have all you need for any good work. |
| 9As it is written: “He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.” | 9As it is written, "He scatters everywhere and gives to the poor; his righteousness lasts forever." |
| 10Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, | 10Now he who supplies seed to the farmer and bread to eat will also supply you with seed and multiply it and enlarge the harvest that results from your righteousness. |
| 11while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God. | 11In every way you will grow richer and become even more generous, and this will cause others to give thanks to God because of us, |
| 12For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God, | 12since this ministry you render is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, it is also overflowing with more and more prayers of thanksgiving to God. |
| 13while, through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal sharing with them and all men, | 13Because your service in giving proves your love, you will be glorifying God as you obey what your confession of the Messiah's gospel demands, since you are generous in sharing with them and with everyone else. |
| 14and by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you. | 14And so in their prayers for you they will long for you because of God's exceptional grace that was shown to you. |
| 15Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! | 15Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
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