¹ Moreover, brothers, we make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the assemblies of Macedonia;

² how that in much proof of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded to the riches of their liberality.

³ For according to their power, I testify, yes and beyond their power, they gave of their own accord,

⁴ begging us with much entreaty to receive this grace and the fellowship in the service to the saints.

⁵ This was not as we had hoped, but first they gave their own selves to the Lord, and to us through the will of God.

⁶ So we urged Titus, that as he made a beginning before, so he would also complete in you this grace.

⁷ But as you abound in everything, in faith, utterance, knowledge, all earnestness, and in your love to us, see that you also abound in this grace.

⁸ I speak not by way of commandment, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity also of your love.

⁹ For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might become rich.

¹⁰ I give a judgment in this: for this is expedient for you, who were the first to start a year ago, not only to do, but also to be willing.

¹¹ But now complete the doing also, that as there was the readiness to be willing, so there may be the completion also out of your ability.

¹² For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what you have, not according to what you don't have.

¹³ For this is not that others may be eased and you distressed,

¹⁴ but for equality. Your abundance at this present time supplies their lack, that their abundance also may become a supply for your lack; that there may be equality.

¹⁵ As it is written, "He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack."

¹⁶ But thanks be to God, who puts the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus.

¹⁷ For he indeed accepted our exhortation, but being himself very earnest, he went out to you of his own accord.

¹⁸ We have sent together with him the brother whose praise in the Good News is known through all the assemblies.

¹⁹ Not only so, but who was also appointed by the assemblies to travel with us in this grace, which is served by us to the glory of the Lord himself, and to show our readiness.

²⁰ We are avoiding this, that any man should blame us concerning this abundance which is administered by us.

²¹ Having regard for honorable things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.

²² We have sent with them our brother, whom we have many times proved earnest in many things, but now much more earnest, by reason of the great confidence which he has in you.

²³ As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker for you. As for our brothers, they are the apostles of the assemblies, the glory of Christ.

²⁴ Therefore show the proof of your love to them in front of the assemblies, and of our boasting on your behalf.

¹ It is indeed unnecessary for me to write to you concerning the service to the saints,

² for I know your readiness, of which I boast on your behalf to them of Macedonia, that Achaia has been prepared for a year past. Your zeal has stirred up very many of them.

³ But I have sent the brothers that our boasting on your behalf may not be in vain in this respect, that, just as I said, you may be prepared,

⁴ so that I won't by any means, if there come with me any of Macedonia and find you unprepared, we (to say nothing of you) should be disappointed in this confident boasting.

⁵ I thought it necessary therefore to entreat the brothers that they would go before to you, and arrange ahead of time the generous gift that you promised before, that the same might be ready as a matter of generosity, and not of greediness.

⁶ Remember this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. He who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

⁷ Let each man give according as he has determined in his heart; not grudgingly, or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver.

⁸ And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that you, always having all sufficiency in everything, may abound to every good work.

⁹ As it is written, "He has scattered abroad, he has given to the poor. His righteousness remains forever."

¹⁰ Now may he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, supply and multiply your seed for sowing, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;

¹¹ you being enriched in everything to all liberality, which works through us thanksgiving to God.

¹² For this service of giving that you perform not only makes up for lack among the saints, but abounds also through many givings of thanks to God;

¹³ seeing that through the proof given by this service, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the Good News of Christ, and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all;

¹⁴ while they themselves also, with supplication on your behalf, yearn for you by reason of the exceeding grace of God in you.

¹⁵ Now thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift!

¹ Now I Paul, myself, entreat you by the humility and gentleness of Christ; I who in your presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you.

² Yes, I beg you that I may not, when present, show courage with the confidence with which I intend to be bold against some, who consider us to be walking according to the flesh.

³ For though we walk in the flesh, we don't wage war according to the flesh;

⁴ for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the throwing down of strongholds,

⁵ throwing down imaginations and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ;

⁶ and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience will be made full.

⁷ Do you look at things only as they appear in front of your face? If anyone trusts in himself that he is Christ's, let him consider this again with himself, that, even as he is Christ's, so also we are Christ's.

⁸ For though I should boast somewhat abundantly concerning our authority, (which the Lord gave for building you up, and not for casting you down) I will not be disappointed,

⁹ that I may not seem as if I desire to terrify you by my letters.

¹⁰ For, "His letters," they say, "are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech is despised."

¹¹ Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such are we also in deed when we are present.

¹² For we are not bold to number or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves. But they themselves, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are without understanding.

¹³ But we will not boast beyond proper limits, but within the boundaries with which God appointed to us, which reach even to you.

¹⁴ For we don't stretch ourselves too much, as though we didn't reach to you. For we came even as far as to you with the Good News of Christ,

¹⁵ not boasting beyond proper limits in other men's labors, but having hope that as your faith grows, we will be abundantly enlarged by you in our sphere of influence,

¹⁶ so as to preach the Good News even to the parts beyond you, not to boast in what someone else has already done.

¹⁷ But "he who boasts, let him boast in the Lord."

¹⁸ For it isn't he who commends himself who is approved, but whom the Lord commends.

¹ I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness, but indeed you do bear with me.

² For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy. For I married you to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

³ But I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve in his craftiness, so your minds might be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

⁴ For if he who comes preaches another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or if you receive a different spirit, which you did not receive, or a different "good news", which you did not accept, you put up with that well enough.

⁵ For I reckon that I am not at all behind the very best apostles.

⁶ But though I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not unskilled in knowledge. No, in every way we have been revealed to you in all things.

⁷ Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached to you God's Good News free of charge?

⁸ I robbed other assemblies, taking wages from them that I might serve you.

⁹ When I was present with you and was in need, I wasn't a burden on anyone, for the brothers, when they came from Macedonia, supplied the measure of my need. In everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and I will continue to do so.

¹⁰ As the truth of Christ is in me, no one will stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia.

¹¹ Why? Because I don't love you? God knows.

¹² But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them that desire an occasion, that in which they boast, they may be found even as we.

¹³ For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as Christ's apostles.

¹⁴ And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light.

¹⁵ It is no great thing therefore if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

¹⁶ I say again, let no one think me foolish. But if so, yet receive me as foolish, that I also may boast a little.

¹⁷ That which I speak, I don't speak according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting.

¹⁸ Seeing that many boast after the flesh, I will also boast.

¹⁹ For you bear with the foolish gladly, being wise.

²⁰ For you bear with a man, if he brings you into bondage, if he devours you, if he takes you captive, if he exalts himself, if he strikes you on the face.

²¹ I speak by way of disparagement, as though we had been weak. Yet however any is bold (I speak in foolishness), I am bold also.

²² Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I.

²³ Are they servants of Christ? (I speak as one beside himself) I am more so; in labors more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in deaths often.

²⁴ Five times from the Jews I received forty stripes minus one.

²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I suffered shipwreck. I have been a night and a day in the deep.

²⁶ I have been in travels often, perils of rivers, perils of robbers, perils from my countrymen, perils from the Gentiles, perils in the city, perils in the wilderness, perils in the sea, perils among false brothers;

²⁷ in labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, and in cold and nakedness.

²⁸ Besides those things that are outside, there is that which presses on me daily, anxiety for all the assemblies.

²⁹ Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is caused to stumble, and I don't burn with indignation?

³⁰ If I must boast, I will boast of the things that concern my weakness.

³¹ The God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, he who is blessed forevermore, knows that I don't lie.

³² In Damascus the governor under King Aretas guarded the city of the Damascenes desiring to arrest me.

³³ Through a window I was let down in a basket by the wall, and escaped his hands.

¹ It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. For I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

² I know a man in Christ, fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I don't know, or whether out of the body, I don't know; God knows), such a one caught up into the third heaven.

³ I know such a man (whether in the body, or outside of the body, I don't know; God knows),

⁴ how he was caught up into Paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

⁵ On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in my weaknesses.

⁶ For if I would desire to boast, I will not be foolish; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, so that no man may think more of me than that which he sees in me, or hears from me.

⁷ By reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted excessively, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, that I should not be exalted excessively.

⁸ Concerning this thing, I begged the Lord three times that it might depart from me.

⁹ He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me.

¹⁰ Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong.

¹¹ I have become foolish in boasting. You compelled me, for I ought to have been commended by you, for in nothing was I inferior to the very best apostles, though I am nothing.

¹² Truly the signs of an apostle were worked among you in all patience, in signs and wonders and mighty works.

¹³ For what is there in which you were made inferior to the rest of the assemblies, unless it is that I myself was not a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong.

¹⁴ Behold, this is the third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be a burden to you; for I seek not your possessions, but you. For the children ought not to save up for the parents, but the parents for the children.

¹⁵ I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more abundantly, am I loved the less?

¹⁶ But be it so, I did not myself burden you. But, being crafty, I caught you with deception.

¹⁷ Did I take advantage of you by anyone of them whom I have sent to you?

¹⁸ I exhorted Titus, and I sent the brother with him. Did Titus take any advantage of you? Didn't we walk in the same spirit? Didn't we walk in the same steps?

¹⁹ Again, do you think that we are excusing ourselves to you? In the sight of God we speak in Christ. But all things, beloved, are for your edifying.

²⁰ For I am afraid that by any means, when I come, I might find you not the way I want to, and that I might be found by you as you don't desire; that by any means there would be strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, whisperings, proud thoughts, riots;

²¹ that again when I come my God would humble me before you, and I would mourn for many of those who have sinned before now, and not repented of the uncleanness and sexual immorality and lustfulness which they committed.

¹ This is the third time I am coming to you. "At the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established."

² I have said beforehand, and I do say beforehand, as when I was present the second time, so now, being absent, I write to those who have sinned before now, and to all the rest, that, if I come again, I will not spare;

³ seeing that you seek a proof of Christ who speaks in me; who toward you is not weak, but is powerful in you.

⁴ For he was crucified through weakness, yet he lives through the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we will live with him through the power of God toward you.

⁵ Test your own selves, whether you are in the faith. Test your own selves. Or don't you know as to your own selves, that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless indeed you are disqualified.

⁶ But I hope that you will know that we aren't disqualified.

⁷ Now I pray to God that you do no evil; not that we may appear approved, but that you may do that which is honorable, though we are as reprobate.

⁸ For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.

⁹ For we rejoice when we are weak and you are strong. And this we also pray for, even your perfecting.

¹⁰ For this cause I write these things while absent, that I may not deal sharply when present, according to the authority which the Lord gave me for building up, and not for tearing down.

¹¹ Finally, brothers, rejoice. Be perfected, be comforted, be of the same mind, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.

¹² Greet one another with a holy kiss.

¹³ All the saints greet you.