| 1 וְהִנְנוּ מוֹדִיעִים אֶתְכֶם אֶחָי אֶת־חֶסֶד אֱלֹהִים הַנִּתָּן בִּקְהִלּוֹת מַקְדּוֹנְיָא | 1 We want you to know, brethren, about the grace of God which has been shown in the churches of Macedonia, |
| 2 כִּי בְּרָב־נִסְיוֹן הַלַּחַץ רָבְתָה שִׂמְחָתָם וְדֹחַק רֵישָׁם הִרְבָּה לְהַרְאוֹת עשֶׁר נִדְבָתָם | 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of liberality on their part. |
| 3 כִּי מֵעִיד אָנֹכִי אֲשֶׁר לְפִי כֹחָם וְיוֹתֵר מִכֹּחָם הִתְנַדָּבוּ | 3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own free will, |
| 4 וַיְבַקְשׁוּ מִמֶּנּוּ בְּרָב־תַּחֲנוּנִים לִהְיוֹת חֲבֵרֵינוּ בִּגְמִילוּת חַסְדָּם לְעֶזְרַת הַקְּדשִׁים | 4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints-- |
| 5 וְלֹא כַּאֲשֶׁר הוֹחַלְנוּ כִּי אִם־אֶת־עַצְמָם נָתְנוּ בָרִאשׁוֹנָה לָאָדוֹן וְגַם־לָנוּ בִּרְצוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים | 5 and this, not as we expected, but first they gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God. |
| 6 עַד כִּי־בִקַּשְׁנוּ מִן־טִיטוֹס כַּאֲשֶׁר הֵחֵל כֵּן גַּם־לִגְמוֹר בָּכֶם אֶת־גְּמִילוּת הַחֶסֶד הַזֹּאת | 6 Accordingly we have urged Titus that as he had already made a beginning, he should also complete among you this gracious work. |
| 7 אֲבָל כַּאֲשֶׁר הוֹתַרְתֶּם בַּכֹּל בֶּאֱמוּנָה וּבְדִבּוּר וּבְדַעַת וּבְכָל־זְרִיזוּת וּבְאַהֲבַתְכֶם אֹתָנוּ כֵּן גַּם־תּוֹתִירוּ בַּחֶסֶד הַזֶּה | 7 Now as you excel in everything--in faith, in utterance, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in your love for us--see that you excel in this gracious work also. |
| 8 וְאֵינֶנִּי אֹמֵר זֹאת בְּדֶרֶךְ צִוּוּי כִּי אִם־לִבְחֹן עַל־יְדֵי זְרִיזוּת אֲחֵרִים גַּם אֶת־אֲמִתֻּת אַהֲבַתְכֶם | 8 I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. |
| 9 כִּי־יֹדְעִים אַתֶּם אֶת־חֶסֶד אֲדֹנֵינוּ יֵשׁוּעַ הַמָּשִׁיחַ כִּי בִּהְיוֹתוֹ עָשִׁיר נַעֲשָׂה רָשׁ בַּעֲבוּרְכֶם לְמַעַן תַּעֲשִׁירוּ עַל־יְדֵי רִישׁוֹ | 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich. |
| 10 וַאֲחַוֶּה אֶת־דַּעְתִּי בַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה כִּי־זֹאת לְהוֹעִיל לָכֶם אֲשֶׁר הִקְדַּמְתֶּם כְּבָר בַּשָּׁנָה שֶׁעָבְרָה לֹא לַעֲשׂוֹת בִּלְבַד כִּי גַּם־לַחְפֹּץ | 10 And in this matter I give my advice: it is best for you now to complete what a year ago you began not only to do but to desire, |
| 11 וְעַתָּה גַּם־הַשְׁלִימוּ אֶת־הַמַּעֲשֶׂה לְמַעַן כַּאֲשֶׁר הִתְנַדַּבְתֶּם לַעֲשׂוֹת כֵּן גַּם־תִּגְמְרוּ כְּפִי יְכָלְתְּכֶם | 11 so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have. |
| 12 כִּי בְּהִמָּצֵא לְאִישׁ רוּחַ נְדִיבָה רְצוּיָה הִיא לְפִי מַה־שֶּׁיֶּשׁ לוֹ וְלֹא־לְפִי מַה־שֶּׁאֵין לוֹ | 12 For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a man has, not according to what he has not. |
| 13 כִּי לֹא לְמַעַן תִּהְיֶה רְוָחָה לַאֲחֵרִים וְלָכֶם צוּקָה כִּי אִם־בְּשִׁוּוּי יְמַלֵּא יִתְרְכֶם בָּעֵת הַזֹּאת אֶת־מַחְסוֹרָם | 13 I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, |
| 14 לְמַעַן גַּם־יִתְרָם יִהְיֶה לְמַלֵּא מַחְסוֹרְכֶם כְּדֵי לְהַשְׁוֺת | 14 but that as a matter of equality your abundance at the present time should supply their want, so that their abundance may supply your want, that there may be equality. |
| 15 כַּכָּתוּב לֹא הֶעְדִיף הַמַּרְבֶּה וְהַמַּמְעִיט לֹא הֶחְסִיר | 15 As it is written, "He who gathered much had nothing over, and he who gathered little had no lack." |
| 16 וְתוֹדוֹת לֵאלֹהִים הַנּוֹתֵן גַּם־בְּלֵב טִיטוֹס לִשְׁקֹד עֲלֵיכֶם בִּשְׁקִידָה כָזֹאת | 16 But thanks be to God who puts the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus. |
| 17 כִּי שָׁמַע לְבַקָּשָׁתֵנוּ וּבִשְׁקִידָתוֹ הַיְתֵרָה הָלַךְ אֲלֵיכֶם מֵרְצוֹן נַפְשׁוֹ | 17 For he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very earnest he is going to you of his own accord. |
| 18 וְעִמּוֹ יַחְדָּו שָׁלַחְנוּ הָאָח אֲשֶׁר יָצָא שִׁבְחוֹ בַבְּשׂוֹרָה בְּכָל־הַקְּהִלּוֹת | 18 With him we are sending the brother who is famous among all the churches for his preaching of the gospel; |
| 19 וּמִלְּבַד זֹאת גַּם־נִבְחָר הוּא מֵאֵת הַקְּהִלּוֹת לָלֶכֶת אִתָּנוּ לְהָבִיא הַחֶסֶד הַזֶּה הַגָּבוּי עַל־יָדֵינוּ לִכְבוֹד הָאָדוֹן וּלְאַמֵּץ לְבַבְכֶם | 19 and not only that, but he has been appointed by the churches to travel with us in this gracious work which we are carrying on, for the glory of the Lord and to show our good will. |
| 20 וְנִשָּׁמֵר בָּזֹאת שֶׁלֹּא יוֹצִיא אִישׁ עָלֵינוּ דִּבָּה רָעָה בְּשִׁפְעַת הַמַּתָּנָה הַזֹּאת הַגְּבוּיָה עַל־יָדֵינוּ | 20 We intend that no one should blame us about this liberal gift which we are administering, |
| 21 כִּי־מַשְׁגִּיחִים אֲנַחְנוּ עַל־הַטּוֹב לֹא לִפְנֵי הָאָדוֹן לְבָד כִּי גַּם־לִפְנֵי הָאָדָם | 21 for we aim at what is honorable not only in the Lord's sight but also in the sight of men. |
| 22 וַנִּשְׁלַח עִמָּהֶם אֶת־אָחִינוּ אֲשֶׁר בָּחַנּוּ אֶת־שְׁקִידָתוֹ פְּעָמִים רַבּוֹת בִּדְבָרִים הַרְבֵּה וְעַתָּה הוּא שָׁקוּד עוֹד יוֹתֵר בְּגֹדֶל בִּטְחוֹנוֹ עֲלֵיכֶם | 22 And with them we are sending our brother whom we have often tested and found earnest in many matters, but who is now more earnest than ever because of his great confidence in you. |
| 23 אִם־לְטִיטוֹס הִנֵּה חֲבֵרִי הוּא וְעֹזְרִי בָכֶם וְאִם־לְאַחֵינוּ הִנֵּה שְׁלוּחֵי הַקְּהִלּוֹת הֵם וְתִפְאֶרֶת הַמָּשִׁיחַ | 23 As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker in your service; and as for our brethren, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ. |
| 24 עַל־כֵּן הַרְאוּ וְהוֹכִיחוּ לָהֶם לִפְנֵי הַקְּהִלּוֹת אֶת־אַהֲבַתְכֶם וְאֶת־תְּהִלָּתֵנוּ עֲלֵיכֶם | 24 So give proof, before the churches, of your love and of our boasting about you to these men. |
