Πρὸς Κορινθίους Βʹ

2 Corinthians — Chapter 8

Read 2 Corinthians Chapter 8 in the original Greek alongside the King James Version (KJV) — 24 verses. Koine Greek text with full English translation.

Γνωρίζομεν δὲ ὑμῖν, ἀδελφοί, τὴν χάριν τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν δεδομένην ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις τῆς Μακεδονίας·

KJVMoreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia;

And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches.

ὅτι ἐν πολλῇ δοκιμῇ θλίψεως ἡ περισσεία τῆς χαρᾶς αὐτῶν καὶ ἡ κατὰ βάθους πτωχεία αὐτῶν ἐπερίσσευσεν εἰς τὸν πλοῦτον τῆς ἁπλότητος αὐτῶν.

KJVHow that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.

In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.

Ὅτι κατὰ δύναμιν, μαρτυρῶ, καὶ ὑπὲρ δύναμιν αὐθαίρετοι,

KJVFor to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves;

For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own,

μετὰ πολλῆς παρακλήσεως δεόμενοι ἡμῶν, τὴν χάριν καὶ τὴν κοινωνίαν τῆς διακονίας τῆς εἰς τοὺς ἁγίους·

KJVPraying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.

they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord's people.

καὶ οὐ καθὼς ἠλπίσαμεν, ἀλλ' ἑαυτοὺς ἔδωκαν πρῶτον τῷ Κυρίῳ, καὶ ἡμῖν διὰ θελήματος Θεοῦ

KJVAnd this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.

And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.

εἰς τὸ παρακαλέσαι ἡμᾶς Τίτον, ἵνα καθὼς προενήρξατο, οὕτως καὶ ἐπιτελέσῃ εἰς ὑμᾶς καὶ τὴν χάριν ταύτην.

KJVInsomuch that we desired Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also finish in you the same grace also.

So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part.

Ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἐν παντὶ περισσεύετε, πίστει, καὶ λόγῳ, καὶ γνώσει, καὶ πάσῃ σπουδῇ, καὶ τῇ ἐξ ὑμῶν ἐν ἡμῖν ἀγάπῃ, ἵνα καὶ ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ χάριτι περισσεύητε.

KJVTherefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.

But since you excel in everything — in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you — see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

Οὐ κατ' ἐπιταγὴν λέγω, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῆς ἑτέρων σπουδῆς καὶ τὸ τῆς ὑμετέρας ἀγάπης γνήσιον δοκιμάζων.

KJVI speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.

I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others.

γινώσκετε γὰρ τὴν χάριν τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὅτι δι' ὑμᾶς ἐπτώχευσεν, πλούσιος ὤν, ἵνα ὑμεῖς τῇ ἐκείνου πτωχείᾳ πλουτήσητε.

KJVFor ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

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

Καὶ γνώμην ἐν τούτῳ δίδωμι· τοῦτο γὰρ ὑμῖν συμφέρει, οἵτινες οὐ μόνον τὸ ποιῆσαι ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ θέλειν προενήρξασθε ἀπὸ πέρυσι.

KJVAnd herein I give my advice: for this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago.

And here is my judgment about what is best for you in this matter. Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so.

Νυνὶ δὲ καὶ τὸ ποιῆσαι ἐπιτελέσατε, ὅπως, καθάπερ ἡ προθυμία τοῦ θέλειν, οὕτως καὶ τὸ ἐπιτελέσαι ἐκ τοῦ ἔχειν.

KJVNow therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have.

Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.

Εἰ γὰρ ἡ προθυμία πρόκειται, καθὸ ἐὰν ἔχῃ τις, εὐπρόσδεκτος, οὐ καθὸ οὐκ ἔχει.

KJVFor if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.

For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.

Οὐ γὰρ ἵνα ἄλλοις ἄνεσις, ὑμῖν δὲ θλίψις· ἀλλ' ἐξ ἰσότητος, ἐν τῷ νῦν καιρῷ τὸ ὑμῶν περίσσευμα εἰς τὸ ἐκείνων ὑστέρημα,

KJVFor I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened:

Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality.

ἵνα καὶ τὸ ἐκείνων περίσσευμα γένηται εἰς τὸ ὑμῶν ὑστέρημα· ὅπως γένηται ἰσότης,

KJVBut by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality:

At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality,

καθὼς γέγραπται, Ὁ τὸ πολύ, οὐκ ἐπλεόνασεν· καὶ ὁ τὸ ὀλίγον, οὐκ ἠλαττόνησεν.

KJVAs it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack.

as it is written: The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.

Χάρις δὲ τῷ Θεῷ τῷ διδόντι τὴν αὐτὴν σπουδὴν ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ Τίτου.

KJVBut thanks be to God, which put the same earnest care into the heart of Titus for you.

Thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you.

Ὅτι τὴν μὲν παράκλησιν ἐδέξατο, σπουδαιότερος δὲ ὑπάρχων, αὐθαίρετος ἐξῆλθεν πρὸς ὑμᾶς.

KJVFor indeed he accepted the exhortation; but being more forward, of his own accord he went unto you.

For Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative.

Συνεπέμψαμεν δὲ μετ' αὐτοῦ τὸν ἀδελφόν, οὗ ὁ ἔπαινος ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ διὰ πασῶν τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν·

KJVAnd we have sent with him the brother, whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches;

And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel.

οὐ μόνον δέ, ἀλλὰ καὶ χειροτονηθεὶς ὑπὸ τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν συνέκδημος ἡμῶν σὺν τῇ χάριτι ταύτῃ τῇ διακονουμένῃ ὑφ' ἡμῶν πρὸς τὴν αὐτοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου δόξαν καὶ προθυμίαν ἡμῶν·

KJVAnd not that only, but who was also chosen of the churches to travel with us with this grace, which is administered by us to the glory of the same Lord, and declaration of your ready mind:

What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help.

στελλόμενοι τοῦτο, μή τις ἡμᾶς μωμήσηται ἐν τῇ ἁδρότητι ταύτῃ τῇ διακονουμένῃ ὑφ' ἡμῶν·

KJVAvoiding this, that no man should blame us in this abundance which is administered by us:

We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift.

προνοούμενοι καλὰ οὐ μόνον ἐνώπιον Κυρίου ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐνώπιον ἀνθρώπων.

KJVProviding for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.

For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man.

Συνεπέμψαμεν δὲ αὐτοῖς τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἡμῶν, ὃν ἐδοκιμάσαμεν ἐν πολλοῖς πολλάκις σπουδαῖον ὄντα, νυνὶ δὲ πολὺ σπουδαιότερον, πεποιθήσει πολλῇ τῇ εἰς ὑμᾶς.

KJVAnd we have sent with them our brother, whom we have oftentimes proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, upon the great confidence which I have in you.

In addition, we are sending with them our brother who has often proved to us in many ways that he is zealous, and now even more so because of his great confidence in you.

Εἴτε ὑπὲρ Τίτου, κοινωνὸς ἐμὸς καὶ εἰς ὑμᾶς συνεργός· εἴτε ἀδελφοὶ ἡμῶν, ἀπόστολοι ἐκκλησιῶν, δόξα Χριστοῦ.

KJVWhether any do enquire of Titus, he is my partner and fellowhelper concerning you: or our brethren be enquired of, they are the messengers of the churches, and the glory of Christ.

As for Titus, he is my partner and co-worker among you; as for our brothers, they are representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ.

Τὴν οὖν ἔνδειξιν τῆς ἀγάπης ὑμῶν, καὶ ἡμῶν καυχήσεως ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν, εἰς αὐτοὺς ἐνδείξασθε εἰς πρόσωπον τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν.

KJVWherefore shew ye to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love, and of our boasting on your behalf.

Therefore show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our pride in you, so that the churches can see it.