Generous Giving
1 My friends, we want you to know that the churches in Macedonia have shown others God's gift of undeserved grace. 2 Although they were going through hard times and were very poor, they were glad to give generously. 3 They gave as much as they could afford and even more, simply because they wanted to. 4 They even asked and begged us to let them have the joy of giving their money for God's people. 5 And they did more than we had hoped. They gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us, just as God wanted them to do.
6 Titus was the one who got you started doing this good thing, so we begged him to help you finish what you had begun. 7 You do everything better than anyone else. You have stronger faith. You speak better and know more. You are eager to give, and you love us better. Now you must give more generously than anyone else.
8 I am not ordering you to do this. I am simply testing how real your love is by comparing it with the concern that others have shown. 9 You know our Lord Jesus Christ treated us with undeserved grace by giving up all his riches, so you could become rich.
10 A year ago you were the first ones to give, and you gave because you wanted to. So listen to my advice. 11 I think you should finish what you started. If you give according to what you have, you will prove you are as eager to give as you were to think about giving. 12 It doesn't matter how much you have. What matters is how much you are willing to give from what you have.
13 I am not trying to make life easier for others by making life harder for you. But it is only fair 14 for you to share with them when you have so much, and they have so little. Later, when they have more than enough, and you are in need, they can share with you. Then everyone will have a fair share, 15 just as the Scriptures say,
“Those who gathered
too much
had nothing left.
Those who gathered
only a little
had all they needed.”
Titus and His Friends
16 I am grateful that God made Titus care as much about you as we do. 17 When we begged Titus to visit you, he said he would. He wanted to because he cared so much for you. 18 With Titus we are also sending one of the Lord's followers who is well known in every church for spreading the good news. 19 The churches chose this follower to travel with us while we carry this gift that will bring praise to the Lord and show how much we hope to help. 20 We don't want anyone to find fault with the way we handle your generous gift. 21 But we want to do what pleases the Lord and what people think is right.
22 We are also sending someone else with Titus and the other follower. We approve of this man. In fact, he has already shown us many times that he wants to help. And now he wants to help even more than ever, because he trusts you so much. 23 Titus is my partner, who works with me to serve you. The other two followers are sent by the churches, and they bring honor to Christ. 24 Treat them in such a way that the churches will see your love and will know why we bragged about you.
Okugandja kwaakriste
1 Aamwameme, tse otwa hala, mu tseye shoka sha longwa kesilohenda lyaKalunga momagongalo gomuMakedonia. 2 Ooyitaali oya li ya piti momayeleko omadhigu, ihe nando ongawo, enyanyu lyawo olya li enene. Onkee ano oya gandja nomwenyo omwaanawa, nonando oya li ye na oluhepo olunene. 3 Ngame onzapo yawo, nkene ya gandja, ngaashi taye shi vulu. Nokuli kehalo lyawo yene oya gandja shi vulithe po. 4 Oye tu indile noya pula, ya pewe ompito yokukwatha aantu yaKalunga yomuJudea. 5 Oya gandja shi vulithe pushoka twa li twa tegelela. Tango oyi igandja yo yene kOmuwa noyi igandja ihe kutse pahalo lyaKalunga. 6 Onkee ano otwa kumagidha Titus, ngoka a tameke oshilonga shika mokati keni, e shi tsikile ye e mu kwathe, mu wape okutsakanitha eyakulo ndika lyohole. 7 One aayamba miinima ayihe mbyoka mu na; meitaalo, mokupopya nomokutseya, muuladhi weni wokukwatha nomohole yeni yoku tu hola. Osho ano otwa hala, mu kale mwaa na uuluya nomeyakulo ndika lyohole.
8 Ngame itandi gandja nando oshipango shasha. Ihe moku mu ulukila yakweni yalwe nkene ya ladhipala okukwatha, onda hala okutala ohole yeni ngele oyashili tuu. 9 Oshoka omwa tseya shoka Omuwa gwetu Jesus Kristus e mu ningile. Nando oye okwa li omuyamba, okwi iningi ohepele molweni, opo mu ninge aayamba molwoluhepo lwe.
10 Ngame otandi dhiladhila moshinima shika kutya otashi kala oshiwanawa kune, ngele tamu tsakanitha ngashingeyi shoka mwe shi tameke omumvo gwa piti. One omwa li yotango, hamiilonga ashike, ihe nomehalo wo lyokulonga. 11 Tsikileni ano oshilonga shika, mu shi hulithe. Kaleni mu na uulaadhi oku shi hulitha, ngaashi mwa li mwa hala. Shi ningeni naashoka mu na. 12 Oshoka ngele omu na ehalo ewanawa lyokugandja, nena Kalunga ota taamba omagano ngoka tamu gandja pamuthika mpoka mu thike, haampoka mwaa thike. 13 Ngame inandi hala ando okupupalekela yalwe e tandi mu tsike omutenge. Ihe sho mu na oshindji ngashingeyi, onawa ngele tamu kwatha mboka ye li moluhepo. 14 Nena uuna tamu ka adhika koluhepo yo ye na oshindji, otaa ke mu kwatha wo. Pamukalo nguka otamu ningilwa amuhe shi thike pamwe. 15 Ngashika enyolo tali ti:
“Oongoka a gongele oshindji,
ina kala e na oshindji.
Naangoka a gongele oshishona,
ina kala a hepa.”
16 Kalunga na hambelelwe, sho a pe Titus uupenda woku mu kwatha ngaashi tse. 17 Nokuli ina taamba owala ekumagidho lyetu, ihe okwa li wo a sa uulaadhi okukwatha. Onkee okwa tokola okuya kune kehalo lye mwene. 18 Otatu tumu wo pamwe naye omumwameme omulumentu, ngoka a simanekwa unene momagongalo agehe omolwoshilonga she shokuuvitha evaangeli. 19 Kakele kaashika, omumwameme nguka okwa hogololwa noku uthwa komagongalo, a kale he ende pamwe natse, uuna tatu ende molweyakulo ndika lyohole okusimanekitha Omuwa nokuulika kutya tse otwa hala okukwatha.
20 Tse otwa hala okuyanda, twaa pewe uusama komuntu omolwomukalo ngoka tatu longitha kombinga yiikwatha mbika. 21 Elalakano lyetu olyo okuninga shoka shu uka, hakoshipala shOmuwa awike, ihe nokoshipala shaantu wo.
22 Pamwe naambaka otatu tumu omumwameme omulumentu gulwe ishewe, ngoka twa mono opendji nomiinima oyindji kutya ye ependa nokwa sa uulaadhi okukwatha. Unene ngashingeyi sho e mu inekela, oku na ehalo okukwatha. 23 Titus oye omuyakuli gwandje ngoka ta longo pamwe nangame oku mu kwatha. Aamwameme ooyakwawo mboka taye ya pamwe naye, oyo aakalelipo yomagongalo notaa simanekitha Kristus. 24 Ya ulukileni ohole yeni, opo omagongalo agehe ga dhimbulule noga tseye wo kutya eitango lyetu lyoku mu itangela oli li mondjila.
