Prima lettera a Timoteo (מכתב ראשון לטימותי) 8

STUTTGARTENSIA-DELITZSCH	NEW JERUSALEM
1 וְהִנְנוּ מוֹדִיעִים אֶתְכֶם אֶחָי אֶת־חֶסֶד אֱלֹהִים הַנִּתָּן בִּקְהִלּוֹת מַקְדּוֹנְיָא	1 Next, brothers, we will tel you of the grace of God which has been granted to the churches ofMacedonia,
2 כִּי בְּרָב־נִסְיוֹן הַלַּחַץ רָבְתָה שִׂמְחָתָם וְדֹחַק רֵישָׁם הִרְבָּה לְהַרְאוֹת עשֶׁר נִדְבָתָם	2 and how, throughout continual ordeals of hardship, their unfailing joy and their intense poverty haveoverflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.
3 כִּי מֵעִיד אָנֹכִי אֲשֶׁר לְפִי כֹחָם וְיוֹתֵר מִכֹּחָם הִתְנַדָּבוּ	3 I can testify that it was of their own accord that they made their gift, which was not merely as far as theirresources would al ow, but wel beyond their resources;
4 וַיְבַקְשׁוּ מִמֶּנּוּ בְּרָב־תַּחֲנוּנִים לִהְיוֹת חֲבֵרֵינוּ בִּגְמִילוּת חַסְדָּם לְעֶזְרַת הַקְּדשִׁים	4 and they had kept imploring us most insistently for the privilege of a share in the fellowship of service toGod's holy people-
5 וְלֹא כַּאֲשֶׁר הוֹחַלְנוּ כִּי אִם־אֶת־עַצְמָם נָתְנוּ בָרִאשׁוֹנָה לָאָדוֹן וְגַם־לָנוּ בִּרְצוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים	5 it was not something that we expected of them, but it began by their offering themselves to the Lordand to us at the prompting of the wil of God.
6 עַד כִּי־בִקַּשְׁנוּ מִן־טִיטוֹס כַּאֲשֶׁר הֵחֵל כֵּן גַּם־לִגְמוֹר בָּכֶם אֶת־גְּמִילוּת הַחֶסֶד הַזֹּאת	6 In the end we urged Titus, since he had already made a beginning, also to bring this work of generosityto completion among you.
7 אֲבָל כַּאֲשֶׁר הוֹתַרְתֶּם בַּכֹּל בֶּאֱמוּנָה וּבְדִבּוּר וּבְדַעַת וּבְכָל־זְרִיזוּת וּבְאַהֲבַתְכֶם אֹתָנוּ כֵּן גַּם־תּוֹתִירוּ בַּחֶסֶד הַזֶּה	7 More, as you are rich in everything-faith, eloquence, understanding, concern for everything, and lovefor us too -- then make sure that you excel in this work of generosity too.
8 וְאֵינֶנִּי אֹמֵר זֹאת בְּדֶרֶךְ צִוּוּי כִּי אִם־לִבְחֹן עַל־יְדֵי זְרִיזוּת אֲחֵרִים גַּם אֶת־אֲמִתֻּת אַהֲבַתְכֶם	8 I am not saying this as an order, but testing the genuineness of your love against the concern of others.
9 כִּי־יֹדְעִים אַתֶּם אֶת־חֶסֶד אֲדֹנֵינוּ יֵשׁוּעַ הַמָּשִׁיחַ כִּי בִּהְיוֹתוֹ עָשִׁיר נַעֲשָׂה רָשׁ בַּעֲבוּרְכֶם לְמַעַן תַּעֲשִׁירוּ עַל־יְדֵי רִישׁוֹ	9 You are wel aware of the generosity which our Lord Jesus Christ had, that, although he was rich, hebecame poor for your sake, so that you should become rich through his poverty.
10 וַאֲחַוֶּה אֶת־דַּעְתִּי בַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה כִּי־זֹאת לְהוֹעִיל לָכֶם אֲשֶׁר הִקְדַּמְתֶּם כְּבָר בַּשָּׁנָה שֶׁעָבְרָה לֹא לַעֲשׂוֹת בִּלְבַד כִּי גַּם־לַחְפֹּץ	10 I will give you my considered opinion in the matter; this wil be the right course for you as you were thefirst, a year ago, not only to take any action but also even to conceive the project.
11 וְעַתָּה גַּם־הַשְׁלִימוּ אֶת־הַמַּעֲשֶׂה לְמַעַן כַּאֲשֶׁר הִתְנַדַּבְתֶּם לַעֲשׂוֹת כֵּן גַּם־תִּגְמְרוּ כְּפִי יְכָלְתְּכֶם	11 Now, then, complete the action as wel , so that the fulfilment may -- so far as your resources permit --be proportionate to your enthusiasm for the project.
12 כִּי בְּהִמָּצֵא לְאִישׁ רוּחַ נְדִיבָה רְצוּיָה הִיא לְפִי מַה־שֶּׁיֶּשׁ לוֹ וְלֹא־לְפִי מַה־שֶּׁאֵין לוֹ	12 As long as the enthusiasm is there, the basis on which it is acceptable is what someone has, not whatsomeone does not have.
13 כִּי לֹא לְמַעַן תִּהְיֶה רְוָחָה לַאֲחֵרִים וְלָכֶם צוּקָה כִּי אִם־בְּשִׁוּוּי יְמַלֵּא יִתְרְכֶם בָּעֵת הַזֹּאת אֶת־מַחְסוֹרָם	13 It is not that you ought to relieve other people's needs and leave yourselves in hardship; but thereshould be a fair balance-
14 לְמַעַן גַּם־יִתְרָם יִהְיֶה לְמַלֵּא מַחְסוֹרְכֶם כְּדֵי לְהַשְׁוֺת	14 your surplus at present may fil their deficit, and another time their surplus may fil your deficit. Sothere may be a fair balance;
15 כַּכָּתוּב לֹא הֶעְדִיף הַמַּרְבֶּה וְהַמַּמְעִיט לֹא הֶחְסִיר	15 as scripture says: No one who had collected more had too much, no one who col ected less had toolittle.
16 וְתוֹדוֹת לֵאלֹהִים הַנּוֹתֵן גַּם־בְּלֵב טִיטוֹס לִשְׁקֹד עֲלֵיכֶם בִּשְׁקִידָה כָזֹאת	16 Thank God for putting into Titus' heart the same sincere concern for you.
17 כִּי שָׁמַע לְבַקָּשָׁתֵנוּ וּבִשְׁקִידָתוֹ הַיְתֵרָה הָלַךְ אֲלֵיכֶם מֵרְצוֹן נַפְשׁוֹ	17 He certainly took our urging to heart; but greater still was his own enthusiasm, and he went off to youof his own accord.
18 וְעִמּוֹ יַחְדָּו שָׁלַחְנוּ הָאָח אֲשֶׁר יָצָא שִׁבְחוֹ בַבְּשׂוֹרָה בְּכָל־הַקְּהִלּוֹת	18 We have sent with him the brother who is praised as an evangelist in al the churches
19 וּמִלְּבַד זֹאת גַּם־נִבְחָר הוּא מֵאֵת הַקְּהִלּוֹת לָלֶכֶת אִתָּנוּ לְהָבִיא הַחֶסֶד הַזֶּה הַגָּבוּי עַל־יָדֵינוּ לִכְבוֹד הָאָדוֹן וּלְאַמֵּץ לְבַבְכֶם	19 and who, what is more, was elected by the churches to be our travel ing companion in this work ofgenerosity, a work to be administered by us for the glory of the Lord and our complete satisfaction.
20 וְנִשָּׁמֵר בָּזֹאת שֶׁלֹּא יוֹצִיא אִישׁ עָלֵינוּ דִּבָּה רָעָה בְּשִׁפְעַת הַמַּתָּנָה הַזֹּאת הַגְּבוּיָה עַל־יָדֵינוּ	20 We arranged it this way so that no one should be able to make any accusation against us about thislarge sum we are administering.
21 כִּי־מַשְׁגִּיחִים אֲנַחְנוּ עַל־הַטּוֹב לֹא לִפְנֵי הָאָדוֹן לְבָד כִּי גַּם־לִפְנֵי הָאָדָם	21 And so we have been careful to do right not only in the sight of the Lord but also in the sight of people.
22 וַנִּשְׁלַח עִמָּהֶם אֶת־אָחִינוּ אֲשֶׁר בָּחַנּוּ אֶת־שְׁקִידָתוֹ פְּעָמִים רַבּוֹת בִּדְבָרִים הַרְבֵּה וְעַתָּה הוּא שָׁקוּד עוֹד יוֹתֵר בְּגֹדֶל בִּטְחוֹנוֹ עֲלֵיכֶם	22 Along with these, we have sent a brother of ours whose eagerness we have tested over and overagain in many ways and who is now all the more eager because he has so much faith in you.
23 אִם־לְטִיטוֹס הִנֵּה חֲבֵרִי הוּא וְעֹזְרִי בָכֶם וְאִם־לְאַחֵינוּ הִנֵּה שְׁלוּחֵי הַקְּהִלּוֹת הֵם וְתִפְאֶרֶת הַמָּשִׁיחַ	23 If Titus is in question -- he is my own partner and fellow-worker in your interests; and if our brothers --they are the emissaries of the churches and the glory of Christ.
24 עַל־כֵּן הַרְאוּ וְהוֹכִיחוּ לָהֶם לִפְנֵי הַקְּהִלּוֹת אֶת־אַהֲבַתְכֶם וְאֶת־תְּהִלָּתֵנוּ עֲלֵיכֶם	24 So then, in full view of al the churches, give proof that you love them, and that we were right to boastof you to them.