Generous Giving
1 My friends, we want you to know that the churches in Macedonia have shown others God's gift of undeserved grace. 2 Although they were going through hard times and were very poor, they were glad to give generously. 3 They gave as much as they could afford and even more, simply because they wanted to. 4 They even asked and begged us to let them have the joy of giving their money for God's people. 5 And they did more than we had hoped. They gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us, just as God wanted them to do.
6 Titus was the one who got you started doing this good thing, so we begged him to help you finish what you had begun. 7 You do everything better than anyone else. You have stronger faith. You speak better and know more. You are eager to give, and you love us better. Now you must give more generously than anyone else.
8 I am not ordering you to do this. I am simply testing how real your love is by comparing it with the concern that others have shown. 9 You know our Lord Jesus Christ treated us with undeserved grace by giving up all his riches, so you could become rich.
10 A year ago you were the first ones to give, and you gave because you wanted to. So listen to my advice. 11 I think you should finish what you started. If you give according to what you have, you will prove you are as eager to give as you were to think about giving. 12 It doesn't matter how much you have. What matters is how much you are willing to give from what you have.
13 I am not trying to make life easier for others by making life harder for you. But it is only fair 14 for you to share with them when you have so much, and they have so little. Later, when they have more than enough, and you are in need, they can share with you. Then everyone will have a fair share, 15 just as the Scriptures say,
“Those who gathered
too much
had nothing left.
Those who gathered
only a little
had all they needed.”
Titus and His Friends
16 I am grateful that God made Titus care as much about you as we do. 17 When we begged Titus to visit you, he said he would. He wanted to because he cared so much for you. 18 With Titus we are also sending one of the Lord's followers who is well known in every church for spreading the good news. 19 The churches chose this follower to travel with us while we carry this gift that will bring praise to the Lord and show how much we hope to help. 20 We don't want anyone to find fault with the way we handle your generous gift. 21 But we want to do what pleases the Lord and what people think is right.
22 We are also sending someone else with Titus and the other follower. We approve of this man. In fact, he has already shown us many times that he wants to help. And now he wants to help even more than ever, because he trusts you so much. 23 Titus is my partner, who works with me to serve you. The other two followers are sent by the churches, and they bring honor to Christ. 24 Treat them in such a way that the churches will see your love and will know why we bragged about you.
Cuugwǝzi kwǝthi lɔgrɔstiyan.
1 Nyiiŋǝ linaŋna-ŋǝsi liyǝŋgǝri ethisi elŋe ŋɔ ŋǝthi ne@ma kwǝthi Allah kwǝrrinǝ ki-yǝniisǝ-nǝ yǝthi Makḏuuniiyyǝ-ŋw. 2 Kaka mǝsi-gwɔ ṯurvǝ ṯǝcci ṯuuru ṯifirlli, laakin nǝrtǝ ǝthi ṯaamana ṯɔppa ṯir-ṯir, nɔrɔr-va kinnǝni lɔwaay ceg-cegi tok, nǝrtǝ cuugwǝzi laamina. 3 Kaka mǝr-gwɔ kette ŋgwa kwǝthicǝr ŋɔmana ethi kette, mindaŋ nǝr ṯǝmsǝlɔ pur-pur rɔgwor-ri reeŋen. 4 Nǝrnyji tuurǝccǝlɔ ethi-li ɔɽɔmaṯṯi ki-ṯimǝccǝ-nǝ, ethi mǝcci lizi lirllinǝlɔ ter linaanɔ Yahuuḏiiyyǝ. 5 Nǝr ṯǝmsǝlɔ kwuuru kwiti kwɔgittathiny-gwɔ mac! Kaka ninḏǝthǝr-gwɔ Kweelenyi rogɽo reeŋen ker-kerreny; nǝ kwaathan tǝ, nǝrnyji-mǝ inḏǝthǝ rogɽo reeŋen tok ṯɔgwor-thi ṯǝthi Allah. 6 Ŋwɔṯaŋw nǝnyii tuurǝcci Ṯiiṯus-ŋwɔlɔ, kaka nɔrɔ-ŋgwɔ kwaari ibṯǝḏi ŋothɽor ŋɔ, ethaari isṯimir ethi mǝcci ŋaaŋwɔsi, mindaŋ ethi ṯimmasi ŋothɽor ŋɔ ŋir barka. 7 Nǝ kaka nithǝmthi-ŋǝlɔ pur-pur kwomne-na tatap, ki-ṯǝmminǝ-nǝ, ki-ṯilŋiṯṯa-na, ki-ṯamɽa-na ṯaalɔ ṯǝthi ṯimǝccǝ, nǝ ki-ṯamɽa-na ṯaalɔ ṯǝni nyiiŋǝ tok. Nǝrṯoro ŋɔ ŋinaŋnar-ŋǝsi-ŋi ethi ṯamthalɔ pur-pur ki-ŋothɽor-na ŋɔ ŋir barka tok.
8 Nyii-ti kwandica-ŋǝsi ŋiɽaŋali ŋɔ waamir-yi mac, laakin ethisi ilŋithini ŋaaŋwɔsi ŋɔ ŋǝthi lithaathɔ lǝṯi amɽi ethisi mǝcci lithaathɔ. Mindaŋ ethi ṯamɽa ṯaalɔ ṯir rerrem ruwǝnnǝlɔ. 9 Ŋaaŋa lilŋithi rac ne@ma kwǝthi Kweeleny kwǝri kwǝni Yǝcu Kwɔrɔstɔ, ŋgwa kwir kwɔrṯɔ beṯṯen, laakin nɔŋworo kwɔwaay ŋiɽaŋal-ŋi ŋaalɔ, mindaŋ mǝthi ŋɔma ethoro ŋaaŋa lɔrṯɔ ŋɔwaay-ŋi ŋuuŋun. 10 Ŋikir kwiinyi kwǝni-ŋwɔ, ŋɔvthanna ethisi Ṯmmasi ŋa kworo ŋaari-ŋǝŋi ibṯǝḏi ethisi ǝrri kithlǝ-lǝ ŋgala kimǝ ṯamthɔ. Nǝreere ǝniŋw ŋaaŋa liri laari ibṯǝḏi ṯɔɽɔk mac ethisi ǝrri ŋɔ, laakin kaka namɽaŋa-gwɔ ethisi ǝrri rɔgwor-ri raalɔ! 11 Aarir kǝniny isṯimir ethisi ṯimmasi kworo kaka kinaŋw nigittathiŋa-gwɔ ethisi ǝrri, ǝɽir kǝniny ǝsi ṯimmasi kworo kwomne-gi ŋgwa kwɔnaanɔ kiriny-na kire-kirem-ŋgwɔ kwǝthiŋǝ. 12 Mǝ kwizi ǝmmini ethi kette kwomne kwǝthiŋw, ǝṯi Allah ǝmminici ŋgwa kwǝthiŋw tok, ǝṯɔŋweere ǝkkici kizǝn ŋgwa kwiti kwǝthicǝŋw ŋɔmana ethi kette mac. 13 Nyii kwiti kwuthǝccǝ ethisi dimmǝthǝ lithaathɔ ṯɔɔvi kithaay mac, mindaŋ ethi uvuni ŋaaŋwɔsi 14 laakin kaka nǝthi-ŋǝgwɔ kwittǝzir kire-kirem-ŋgwa tǝ, nǝr ɔvthanni ethisi mǝcci kila liiracasi. Mindaŋ mɔŋw iiraci ŋaaŋwɔsi kǝzir weere tok tǝ, nǝ mǝrǝthi ŋunduŋǝ tok kwittǝzir tǝ, ǝrŋǝsi mǝcci tok. Nǝ ṯǝrṯiib-thi ṯǝ kɔthɔ, ǝni limǝ biɽithina raay tok. 15 Kaka nɔlɔɔthɔnar-gwɔ ŋaarɔŋw, “Ŋgwa kwuluuvǝzǝ kwuuru, nɔŋweere ǝthi kwuthǝmthǝlɔ mac, nǝ ŋgwa kwuluuvǝzǝ kwokwɔɽoc, nɔŋweere amɽaṯatha mac.”
Ṯiiṯus-ŋǝ lizi-li lǝṯir-li akkɔ ŋothɽor.
16 Ǝri ǝccǝ Allah shukran winḏǝthǝ Ṯiiṯus-ŋwɔ, ṯaŋrica ki-ṯɔgwor-na ṯǝni ŋaaŋa, ethi mǝcci ŋaaŋwɔsi! 17 Nɔŋwseere ǝmmini ŋa ŋuṯicǝny-ŋǝlɔ dak mac, laakin nɔŋwɔni kwɔgittathɔ kerreny tuk ethiila ethi mǝcci ŋaaŋwɔsi wɔɽe-wɔɽeny. 18 Nǝ ŋgwa kwɔɔsa-nyii ǝŋgǝri-gi kwǝri, kwilŋithi yǝniisǝ tatap ṯǝbshiir-thi ṯuuŋwun ṯǝṯɔŋw-thi aari bǝshirǝ Inyjiilǝ. 19 Nǝreere oro ŋɔ dak mac, laakin nǝ yǝniisǝ allana ethi rɔmmɔthi nyiiŋǝ-li, ki-ŋothɽor-na ŋɔ ŋǝrinǝ baarika ṯamɽa-thi, ŋiɽaŋal-ŋi ŋǝthi ŋinith ŋǝthi Kweeleny, ethi baaŋaci ŋaaŋwɔsi ethaarɔŋw, nyiiŋǝ linaŋna ethi mǝcci ŋaaŋwɔsi. 20 Nyiiŋǝ lǝṯi aŋranni beṯṯen, mindaŋ mǝr-nyjeere kaṯṯaci lɔɔma leere mac, lǝthi ŋothɽor ŋǝthi haḏiiyyǝ wɔppa ŋiɽaŋali. 21 Kaka nɔrɔ-ŋwɔ karath kǝri ŋga ethisi ǝrri rirllalɔ, nǝreere ǝniŋw ethisǝrri kiyǝnǝ yǝthi Kweeleny dak mac, laakin kiyǝnǝ yǝthi lizi tok. 22 Nyiiŋǝ kila lithiŋaca-ŋǝsi ǝŋgǝriŋw kwǝri ŋundu-ŋǝli kila lir ndǝn; nǝ kwɔmǝ-nyii ṯǝccici nyaamin-na caw-caw, mindaŋ nǝnyii kaṯṯasi kwǝthi ṯimǝccǝ-nǝ rerrem. Nǝ ŋgwa kwǝni kwallathi-ŋǝsi ṯɔgwor naana ethi mǝcci ŋaaŋwɔsi. 23 Nǝ ŋǝthi Ṯiiṯus tǝ, nɔŋworo kwɔɽɔmaṯṯiny-gi ki-ŋothɽor-na ethi mǝcci ŋaaŋwɔsi; nǝ ŋǝthi liyǝŋgǝri lithaathɔ kila linḏir ŋundu-ŋǝli, nǝsi yǝniisǝ oro yɔɔsasi mindaŋ ethi Kwɔrɔstɔ niini-nǝ. 24 Baaŋicarsi ṯamɽa ṯaalɔ, mindaŋ mǝŋǝsi yǝniisǝ tatap elŋe rerrem ethaarɔŋw nyiiŋǝ laami ǝlliniŋw ŋiɽaŋal-ŋi ŋaalɔ.