2 Corinthians 7-9

Wycliffe Bible

7 Therefore, most dear-worthy brethren, we that have these promises, cleanse we us from all filth of the flesh and of the spirit, doing holiness in the dread of God.^[a]

² Take ye us; we have hurt no man, we have impaired no man [we have corrupted no man], we have beguiled no man.

³ I say not to your condemning; for I said before, that ye be in our hearts, to die together and to live together [to die together, and live together].

⁴ Much trust is to me with you, much glorying is to me for you. I am filled with comfort, I am plenteous [I abound, or am plenteous,] in joy in all our tribulation.

⁵ For when we were come to Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we suffered all tribulation; withoutforth fightings, and dreads [were] within [forsooth withoutforth, fightings, withinforth, dreads].

⁶ But God that comforteth meek men, comforted us in the coming of Titus.

⁷ And not only in the coming of him, but also in the comfort by which he was comforted in you, telling to us your desire, your weeping, your love for me, so that I joyed more.

⁸ For though I made you sorry in an epistle, it rueth me not; though it rued, [I] seeing that though that epistle made you sorry at an hour,

⁹ now I have joy; not for ye were made sorrowful [not for ye were made sorry], but for ye were made sorrowful to penance. For why ye be made sorry after God, that in nothing ye suffer impairment of us.

¹⁰ For the sorrow that is after God, worketh penance into steadfast health; but sorrow of the world worketh death.

¹¹ For lo! this same thing, that ye be sorrowful after God, how much busyness it worketh in you; but defending, but indignation, but dread, but desire, but love, but vengeance. In all things ye have given yourselves to be undefouled in the cause.

¹² Therefore though I wrote to you, I wrote not for him that did the injury, neither for him that suffered, but to show our busyness, which we have for you before God.

¹³ Therefore we be comforted, but in your comfort more plenteously we joyed more on the joy of Titus, for his spirit is fulfilled of all you.

¹⁴ And if I gloried any thing with him of you, I am not confounded [I am not confounded, or shamed]; but as we have spoken to you all things [in truth], so also our glory that was at Titus, is made truth.

¹⁵ And the inwardness of him be more plenteously in you [And the entrails of him be more plenteous in you], which hath in mind the obedience of you all, how with dread and trembling ye received him.

¹⁶ I have joy, that in all things I trust in you. [I joy, that in all things I trust in you.]

8 But, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God, that is given in the churches of Macedonia,

² that in much assaying of tribulation, the plenty of the joy of them was [the abundance, or plenty, of the joy of them was], and the highest poverty of them was plenteous into the riches of the simpleness of them.

³ For I bear witnessing to them, after might and above might they were willful [after virtue, or power, and above virtue they were willful],

⁴ with much admonishing beseeching us the grace and the communing of [the] ministering, that is made to holy men.

⁵ And not as we hoped, but they gave themselves first to the Lord, afterward to us by the will of God.

⁶ So that we prayed Titus, that as he began, so also he perform in you this grace.

⁷ But as ye abound in all things, in faith, and word, and knowing [and science, or knowing], and all busyness, moreover and in your charity into us, that also in this grace ye abound.

⁸ I say not as commanding, but by the busyness of other men proving also the good wit of your charity.

⁹ And ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, for he was made needy for you, when he was rich, that ye should be made rich by his neediness [that ye should be made rich by his mis-ease, or neediness].

¹⁰ And I give counsel in this thing; for this is profitable to you, that not only have begun to do, but also ye began to have will from the former year [but and to desire from the former year].

¹¹ But now [Now forsooth] perform ye in deed, that as the discretion of will is ready [to desire good], so be it also of performing of that that ye have.

¹² For if the will be ready, it is accepted after that that it hath, not after that that it hath not.

¹³ And not that it be remission to other men^[b], and to you tribulation;

¹⁴ but of evenness in the present time your abundance fulfill the need of them, that also the abundance of them be a fulfilling of your need, that evenness be made; [but of evenness, in this present time your abundance fulfill the mis-ease of them, that and the abundance of them be supplement, or fulfilling, of your mis-ease, or need, that evenness be made;]

¹⁵ as it is written, He that [hath] gathered much, was not increased, and he that [had] gathered little, had not less.

¹⁶ And I do thankings to God, that gave the same busyness for you in the heart of Titus,

¹⁷ for [soothly] he received exhortation; but when he was busier, by his will he went forth to you [with his will he went forth to you].

¹⁸ And we sent with him a brother, whose praising is in the gospel by all churches.

¹⁹ And not only [praised], but also he is ordained of churches the fellow of our pilgrimage into this grace, that is ministered of us to the glory of the Lord, and to our ordained will;

²⁰ eschewing this thing, that no man blame us in this plenty, that is ministered of us to the glory of the Lord.

²¹ For we purvey good things, not only before God, but also before all men.

²² For we sent with them also our brother, whom we have proved in many things oft, that he was busy, but now much busier, for much trust in you, [Forsooth we sent with them and our brother, whom we have proved in many things oft, to be busy, now forsooth much busier, in much trust in you,]

²³ either for Titus, that is my fellow and helper in you, either for our brethren [either our brethren], apostles of the churches of the glory of Christ.

²⁴ Therefore show ye to them in the face of churches, that showing that is of your charity [the showing that is of your charity] and of our glory for you.

9 For of the ministry that is made to holy men, it is to me of plenty to write to you.

² For I know your [ready] will, for the which I have glory of you with Macedonians, for also Achaia is ready from a year passed, and your love hath stirred full many.

³ And we have sent brethren, that this thing that we glory of you, be not voided in this part, that as I said, ye be ready.

⁴ Lest when Macedonians come with me, and find you unready, we be shamed, that we say you not/that we saw you not, in this substance.

⁵ Therefore I guessed necessary to pray brethren, that they come before to you, and make ready this promised blessing to be ready, so as blessing, and not as avarice.

⁶ For I say this thing [This thing forsooth I say], he that soweth scarcely, shall also reap scarcely; and he that soweth in blessings, shall reap also of blessings.

⁷ Each man as he casted in his heart [Each man as he cast in his heart], not of heaviness, or of need; for God loveth a glad giver.

⁸ And God is mighty to make all grace abound in you, that ye in all things evermore have all sufficience, and abound into all good work [that ye, in all things evermore having all sufficience, abound into all good work];

⁹ as it is written, He dealed abroad, he gave to poor men, his rightwiseness dwelleth without end [his rightwiseness dwelleth into without end].

¹⁰ And he that ministereth seed to the sower, shall give also bread to eat, and he shall multiply your seed, and make much the increasings of fruits of your rightwiseness;^[c]

¹¹ that in all things ye made rich wax plenteous into all simpleness [that in all things made rich abound into all simpleness], which worketh by us doing of thankings to God.

¹² For the ministry of this office not only filleth those things that fail to holy men, but also multiplieth many thankings to God [but also aboundeth by many in doing of thankings to the Lord],

¹³ by the proving of this ministry, which glorify God in the obedience of your acknowledging in the gospel of Christ, and in simpleness of communication into them and into all [others],

¹⁴ and in the beseeching of them for you, that desire you for the excellent grace of God in you.

¹⁵ I do thankings to God of the gift of him, that may not be told.^[d]