2 Corinthians 9

The Collection for Christians in Jerusalem

9Now ^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!