2 Corinthians 9

1Concerning the gift for God's people, Paul does not need to write more to the Corinthians.

2Paul knows the Corinthians' eagerness. Paul boasts about the Corinthians to the Macedonians, saying Achaia was ready a year ago. The Corinthians' enthusiasm has motivated many people.

3Still, Paul sent the brothers so Paul's boasting about the Corinthians will not prove empty. Paul wants the Corinthians to be ready, as Paul said.

4If Macedonians come with Paul and find the Corinthians unprepared, Paul and his companions would be ashamed. The Corinthians would also be ashamed.

5So Paul thought it was necessary to urge the brothers to go ahead to the Corinthians. Paul wanted the brothers to arrange the Corinthians' promised gift ahead of time. Paul wanted the gift to be ready as a generous gift, not squeezed out by greed.

6Paul says this: the person who plants a little will harvest a little. The person who plants a lot will harvest a lot.

7Each person should give what the person decided in the person's heart. The person should not give reluctantly or because someone forced the person. God loves a cheerful giver.

8God can make all grace overflow toward the Corinthians. Then the Corinthians will always have enough of everything, and can overflow in every good work.

9Scripture says: “The righteous person scattered gifts everywhere; the righteous person gave to the poor. This righteousness remains forever.”

10God supplies seed to the farmer and bread for food. God will multiply the Corinthians' planted seed and increase the harvest of the Corinthians' righteousness.

11God will enrich the Corinthians in everything, so the Corinthians can be generous in every way. This generosity causes thanksgiving to God through Paul and his companions.

12This service does two things: this service supplies what God's people lack, and this service produces many thanksgivings to God.

13Through this proof of service, God's people will glorify God — because the Corinthians obey the gospel of Christ, and because the Corinthians share generously with God's people and with everyone.

14God's people will also pray for the Corinthians. God's people will long for the Corinthians because of the abundant grace of God in the Corinthians.

15Thanks be to God for God's indescribable gift.