고린도후서 9

Ready before Paul comes

¹There is really no need for me to write to you about the relief for God’s holy people. ²I know how willing you are, and I speak of it with pride to the Macedonians: “Achaia has been ready since last year.” Your zeal has spurred most of them into action. ³The reason I am sending the brothers is so that our pride in you does not prove hollow on this point, and so that you are ready, as I kept saying you would be. ⁴Otherwise, if some Macedonians travel with me and discover that you are not ready, we would be put to shame for having been so confident, to say nothing of you.^{ab 5}That is why I felt I had to ask the brothers to travel to you ahead of me and to put in order beforehand the generous gift you promised, so that it will be ready as a gift of generosity, not as a gift of greed.^c

Sowing generously

⁶Keep this in mind: sow sparingly and you will reap sparingly; sow generously and you will reap generously. ⁷Each of you should give the amount you have settled on in your own heart, not with regret and not because you feel you must. God loves a giver who gives gladly. ⁸God is able to make all grace abound for you, so that in every way and at all times you will have everything you need, with plenty to spare for every good work. ⁹As it is written: “He has scattered his gifts far and wide and given to people in need; his righteousness lasts forever.”^{d 10}God, who provides seed for the sower and bread to eat, will provide you with seed as well, and multiply it, and make your righteousness yield a bigger harvest.^{e 11}You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous in every way, and your generosity, carried by us, will bring about thanksgiving to God. ¹²For this relief, a sacred service, not only fills up what God’s holy people lack; it also overflows in many thanksgivings to God. ¹³This relief will show what you are, and they will give glory to God for it: for the way you submit to the gospel of Christ that you confess, and for the generosity of your partnership with them and with everyone. ¹⁴And when they pray for you, they will long for you, because of the surpassing grace of God that rests on you. ¹⁵Thanks be to God for his gift, which no words can describe!^f