1And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. 5And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. 6So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. 7But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you⚓ —see that you also excel in this grace of giving. 8I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 9For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. 10And here is my judgment about what is best for you in this matter. Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. 11Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. 12For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have. 13Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. 14At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, 15as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.”⚓
Titus Sent to Receive the Collection
16Thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you. 17For Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative. 18And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel. 19What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help. 20We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. 21For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man. 22In addition, we are sending with them our brother who has often proved to us in many ways that he is zealous, and now even more so because of his great confidence in you. 23As for Titus, he is my partner and co-worker among you; as for our brothers, they are representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ. 24Therefore show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our pride in you, so that the churches can see it.
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Cov Ntseeg Sau Nyiaj Pab Lwm Tus
1Cov kwvtij peb xav kom nej paub hais tias Vajtswv twb foom koob hmoov ntau kawg rau cov ntseeg uas nyob qhov txhia chaw hauv lub xeev Makedaunias lawm. 2Tej kev txomnyem uas lawv raug twb yog sim saib lawv puas muab siab rau ntseeg. Txawm yog lawv txomnyem npaum li ntawd los lawv tseem zoo siab kawg li. Lawv yeej yog cov neeg uas pluag heev, tiamsis lawv muaj nplooj siab dawb paug muab lawv tej nyiaj pab lwm tus. 3Kuv paub hais tias lawv sau lawv tej nyiaj pab lwm tus raws li uas lawv pab tau. 4Tsis yog li ntawd xwb, lawv tseem muab tshaj tej ntawd thiab. Lawv niaj hnub thov peb cia lawv xa nyiaj mus pab cov ntseeg Vajtswv uas nyob nram lub xeev Yudas. Yeej tsis muaj leejtwg yuam lawv ua li ntawd, lawv cia li ua lawv xwb. 5Peb tsis xav hais tias lawv yuav muab ntau npaum li ntawd. Qhov tseemceeb lawv yeej xub cia peb tus Tswv kav lawv lub siab lawm. Thiab lawv zoo siab cia peb txib lawv mus ua haujlwm raws li Vajtswv pom zoo. 6Yog li ntawd peb thiaj thov Titus tus uas pib ua txoj haujlwm no rov tuaj tim nej. Nws yuav pab nej ua txoj haujlwm uas nej zoo siab ua ntawd kom tiav. 7Nej twb muaj txhua yam txhij lawm, tsis hais cov neeg uas muab siab rau ntseeg, cov uas txawj qhia, cov uas txawj ntse, cov uas kub siab lug pab lwm tus thiab cov uas hlub peb. Yog li ntawd tsimnyog nej zoo siab hlo pab ua txoj haujlwm no thiab. 8Kuv tsis yuam nej ua li ntawd, tiamsis kuv tsuas qhia rau nej hais tias lwm cov kub siab lug sib pab li cas xwb. Kuv xav paub hais tias nej puas muaj lub siab hlub tiag. 9Rau qhov nej yeej paub hais tias peb tus Tswv Yexus Khetos hlub peb kawg li. Txawm yog nws yog tus uas npluanuj los nws zoo siab los ua tus uas npluag. Nws ua li ntawd twb yog nws xav pab nej kom nej ua tau neeg npluanuj. 10Kuv xav hais tias nej cia li ua txoj haujlwm uas tsaib no nej twb pib ua lawm kom tiav. Yog nej ua li ntawd yuav zoo heev. Nej yeej yog cov uas xub pib ua txoj haujlwm ntawd, tiamsis tsis yog nej xub pib ua xwb, nej yeej zoo siab hlo ua thiab. 11Thaum chivthawj nej yeej kub siab lug ua. Yog li ntawd nimno nej cia li rau siab ntso ua kom tiav raws li nej ua tau. 12Rau qhov yog nej zoo siab hlo pab raws li nej muaj, Vajtswv zoo siab yuav npaum li ntawd, yeej tsis muaj leejtwg thov tej uas nej tsis muaj. 13Tsis yog kuv xav kom lwm cov tau zoo tiamsis cia nej txomnyem. 14Nimno nej muaj ntau, tsimnyog nej pab cov uas tsis muaj. Thaum nej tsis muaj, lawv muaj, lawv ho pab nej. Yog li ntawd nej sawvdaws yuav muaj sib npaug zos. 15Raws li Vajtswv txojlus hais tias, “Tus uas khaws tau ntau nws yeej tsis muaj seem, tus uas khaws tau tsawg los nws yeej muaj txaus.”
Cov Ntseeg Txib Neeg Nrog Titus Mus ua Haujlwm
16Peb ua Vajtswv tsaug, rau qhov Vajtswv ua rau Titus muaj lub siab kub lug pab nej. 17Titus tuaj pab nej tsis yog vim peb thov nws xwb, tiamsis nws yeej zoo nws siab tuaj. 18Peb txib peb ib tug kwvtij nrog Titus tuaj. Tus kwvtij ntawd yog tus uas qhia txojmoo zoo, cov ntseeg uas nyob qhov txhia chaw puavleej hwm nws heev. 19Tsis yog li ntawd xwb, nws yog tus uas cov ntseeg tsa nrog peb ua txoj haujlwm sau nyiaj no. Txoj haujlwm no yuav ua rau peb tus Tswv Yexus Khetos tau ntsejmuag thiab ua rau cov ntseeg nrad paub hais tias peb yeej xav pab lawv tiag. 20Peb ua tib zoo ua li no kom thiaj tsis muaj xaiv muaj lus thaum peb xa cov nyiaj no mus pab cov ntseeg nrad. 21Rau qhov peb xav ua ncaj ua ncees. Tsis yog peb ua rau Vajtswv pom xwb, tiamsis peb ua rau neeg pom thiab. 22Yog li ntawd peb yuav txib peb tus kwvtij nrog lawv tuaj. Peb twb xyuas nws tes haujlwm ntau zaus lawm peb pom hais tias nws kub siab lug xav pab. Nimno nws cia siab tau rau nej, nws hajyam xav pab nej heev. 23Tus Titus uas yuav tuaj no nws yog ib tug uas nrog kuv ua haujlwm pab nej. Tiamsis cov kwvtij uas nrog Titus tuaj, lawv yog cov uas cov ntseeg uas nyob qhov txhia chaw txib tuaj. Thiab lawv yog cov uas ua rau Yexus Khetos tau ntsejmuag. 24Yog li ntawd nej yuav tsum hlub lawv, cov ntseeg uas nyob qhov txhia chaw thiaj yuav paub hais tias, nej hlub cov neeg uas lawv txib tuaj ntawd. Thiab lawv yuav paub hais tias tej lus uas peb qhuas nej rau lawv yeej muaj tseeb tiag.