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

¹Kajti zastran službe, ki je za svete, mi ni treba pisati vam;

²for 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.

²zakaj znana mi je vaša dobra volja, s katero se z vami hvalim Macedoncem, da je Ahaja pripravljena že od lani; in vaša gorečnost jih je prav mnogo izpodbodla.

³But 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,

³A brate sem poslal, da ne bode hvala naša z vami zaman v tej zadevi, da bodete, kakor sem govoril, res pripravljeni,

⁴so 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.

⁴da se, ako pridejo z menoj Macedonci in vas najdejo nepripravljene, kako ne osramotimo mi (da ne rečem, vi) v tem svojem zaupanju.

⁵I 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.

⁵Potrebno se mi je torej zazdelo, poprositi brate, da bi šli pred mano k vam in prej pripravili vaš poprej obljubljeni blagoslov, da bode gotov, kakor resničen blagoslov in ne kakor skopost.

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

⁶To pa pomnite: Kdor skopo seje, bo tudi skopo žel, in kdor seje bogato, bo tudi bogato žel.

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

⁷Vsak naj da, kakor je v srcu namenil, ne z žalostjo ali po sili; kajti veselega dajalca ljubi Bog.

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

⁸Bog pa more čez vas razliti obilo vsake milosti, da imate v vsem vsekdar vso obilost in ste bogati za vsako dobro delo,

⁹As it is written, “He has scattered abroad, he has given to the poor. His righteousness remains forever.” Psalm 112:9

⁹kakor je pisano: „Razsipal je, dal je ubogim, njegova pravičnost ostane na vek.“

¹⁰Now 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;

¹⁰Ta pa, ki daje seme sejalcu in kruh za jed, vam dodeli in razmnoži setev vašo ter dá, da bodo rasli sadovi pravičnosti vaše,

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

¹¹da obogatite v vsem za vsako radodarnost, ki napravlja po nas zahvalo Bogu.

¹²For 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;

¹²Kajti služba tega opravila ne dopolnjuje samo pomanjkanja svetih, ampak prinaša tudi po zahvalah od mnogih obilen sad Bogu;

¹³seeing 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;

¹³ker po preizkušnji te službe hvalijo Boga za vaše pokorno pripoznanje evangelija Kristusovega in za vaše radodarno podeljevanje njim in vsem

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

¹⁴ter molijo za vas tisti, ki hrepene po vas zavoljo premnoge milosti Božje v vas.Hvala Bogu za njegov neizrečni dar!

¹⁵Now thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift!

¹⁵Hvala Bogu za njegov neizrečni dar!