Giving Freely to the Lord’s People
1Brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given to the churches in Macedonia. 2They have suffered a great deal. But in their suffering, their joy was more than full. Even though they were very poor, they gave very freely. 3I tell you that they gave as much as they could. In fact, they gave even more than they could. Completely on their own, 4they begged us for the chance to share in serving the Lord’s people in that way. 5They did more than we expected. First they gave themselves to the Lord. Then they gave themselves to us because that was what God wanted. 6Titus had already started collecting money from you. So we asked him to help you finish making your kind gift. 7You do well in everything else. You do well in faith and in speaking. You do well in knowledge and in complete commitment. And you do well in the love we have helped to start in you. So make sure that you also do well in the grace of giving to others.
8I am not commanding you to do it. But I want to test you. I want to find out if you really love God. I want to compare your love with that of others. 9You know the grace shown by our Lord Jesus Christ. Even though he was rich, he became poor to help you. Because he became poor, you can become rich.
10Here is my opinion about what is best for you in that matter. Last year you were the first to give. You were also the first to want to give. 11So finish the work. Then your desire to do it will be matched by your finishing it. Give on the basis of what you have. 12Do you really want to give? Then the gift is measured by what someone has. It is not measured by what they don’t have.
13We don’t want others to have it easy at your expense. We want things to be equal. 14Right now you have plenty in order to take care of what they need. Then they will have plenty to take care of what you need. The goal is to even things out. 15It is written, “The one who gathered a lot didn’t have too much. And the one who gathered a little had enough.” (Exodus 16:18)
Paul Sends Titus to Corinth to Receive the Offering
16God put into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you. Thanks should be given to God for this. 17Titus welcomed our appeal. He is also excited about coming to you. It was his own idea. 18Along with Titus, we are sending another brother. All the churches praise him for his service in telling the good news. 19He was also chosen by the churches to go with us as we bring the offering. We are in charge of it. We want to honor the Lord himself. We want to show how ready we are to help. 20We want to keep anyone from blaming us for how we take care of that large gift. 21We are trying hard to do what both the Lord and people think is right.
22We are also sending another one of our brothers with them. He has often proved to us in many ways that he is very committed. He is now even more committed because he has great faith in you. 23Titus is my helper. He and I work together among you. Our brothers are messengers from the churches. They honor Christ. 24So show them that you really love them. Show them why we are proud of you. Then the churches can see it.
Kulimbikitsa Zopereka
1Ndipo tsopano, abale, tikufuna kuti mudziwe za chisomo chimene Mulungu wapereka ku mipingo ya ku Makedoniya. 2Pakati pa mayesero owawitsa, chimwemwe chawo chosefukira ndi umphawi wawo otheratu, anapereka mowolowamanja kwambiri. 3Motero ndikuchitira umboni kuti anapereka mmene akanathera, ndipo mwinanso kuposera mmene akathera kupereka. Anapereka mosakakamizidwa, 4ndipo anatipempha motiwumiriza kuti tiwapatse mwayi woti nawonso athandize anthu oyera mtima a ku Yudeya. 5Iwo anachita moposera mmene ife timayembekezera. Choyamba anadzipereka kwa Ambuye ndipo kenaka kwa ife monga mwa chifuniro cha Mulungu. 6Choncho tinamupempha Tito kuti atsirize poti nʼkuti atayamba kale ntchito yachisomoyi pakati panu. 7Popeza pa zinthu zonse munachita bwino, monga pachikhulupiriro, poyankhula, pachidziwitso, pakhama lambiri ndi pachikondi chanu pa ife, onetsetsani kuti muchitenso bwino pachisomo ichi chopereka.
8Sindikukulamulirani, koma ndikufuna kuona ngati chikondi chanu nʼchoona pofananitsa ndi changu cha anthu ena. 9Pakuti mukudziwa chisomo cha Ambuye athu Yesu Khristu, kuti ngakhale anali wolemera, koma chifukwa cha inuyo anasanduka wosauka, kuti umphawi wakewo, inuyo mulemere.
10Ndipo nawa malangizo anga pa zoyenera inu kuchita pa nkhaniyi. Chaka chatha munali oyamba, osati ongofuna kupereka kokha komanso okhala ndi mtima ofuna kupereka. 11Tsopano tsirizani ntchitoyi, ndipo changu chanu chofunitsitsa kugwira ntchitoyi ndi kuyitsiriza chichitike molingana ndi zimene muli nazo. 12Ndipo ngati mtima ofunitsitsa ulipo, mphatsoyo imalandiridwa molingana ndi zimene munthuyo ali nazo, osati zimene alibe.
13Cholinga chathu sikuti tipeputse ena pamene inuyo mukuvutika, koma kuti pakhale kufanana. 14Zambiri zimene muli nazo pakati panu muthandize nazo osowa, kuti nawonso akadzakhala nazo zambiri adzakuthandizeni pa zosowa zanu. Cholinga nʼkuchita mofanana, 15monga kwalembedwa kuti, “Iye amene anatola zambiri sizinamutsalireko ndipo amene anatola pangʼono sizinamuchepere.”
Tito Atumidwa ku Korinto
16Tithokoze Mulungu amene anayika mu mtima wa Tito changu chomwecho chimene ine ndili nacho pa inu. 17Pakuti Tito sanangovomera kokha pempho lathu, koma yekha anafunitsitsa kwambiri kubwera kwa inu mwa iye yekha. 18Ndipo tikumutumiza pamodzi ndi mʼbale amene mipingo yonse yamuyamikira chifukwa cha utumiki wake wa Uthenga Wabwino. 19Chowonjezera china nʼchakuti anasankhidwa ndi mipingo kuti atiperekeze pamene ife tikukapereka zopereka, zimene tikuchita pofuna kupereka ulemu kwa Ambuye mwini ndi kuonetsa kufunitsitsa kwathu pothandiza. 20Tikufuna kupewa kutikayikira kulikonse za mmene tikuyendetsera mphatso zochulukazi. 21Pakuti tikuyesetsa kuchita zolondola, osati pamaso pa Ambuye pokha komanso pamaso pa anthu.
22Kuwonjezera apo, tikuwatumiza pamodzi ndi mʼbale wathu, amene nthawi zambiri watitsimikizira mʼnjira zosiyanasiyana kuti ndi wachangu ndiponso chifukwa ali ndi chikhulupiriro chachikulu mwa inu. 23Kunena za Tito, ndiye mnzanga ndi wogwira naye ntchito pakati panu. Kunena za abale athu, ndiwo oyimirira mipingo ndi olemekezetsa Khristu. 24Choncho anthu amenewa atsimikizireni za chikondi chanu ndipo adziwe chifukwa chimene ife timakunyadirani, kuti mipingo yonse iwone chimenechi.
