God Loves a Cheerful Giver

2 Corinthians 9:5

In 9 translations

BSB: So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you beforehand and make arrangements for the bountiful gift you had promised. This way, your gift will be prepared generously and not begrudgingly.
KJV: Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness.
WEB: I 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.
ASV: I thought it necessary therefore to entreat the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your aforepromised bounty, that the same might be ready as a matter of bounty, and not of extortion.
LSV: Therefore I thought [it] necessary to exhort the brothers, that they may go before to you, and may make up before your formerly announced blessing, that this be ready, as a blessing, and not as covetousness.
YLT: Necessary, therefore, I thought [it] to exhort the brethren, that they may go before to you, and may make up before your formerly announced blessing, that this be ready, as a blessing, and not as covetousness.
DBY: I thought it necessary therefore to beg the brethren that they would come to you, and complete beforehand your fore-announced blessing, that this may be ready thus as blessing, and not as got out of you.
DRC: Therefore I thought it necessary to desire the brethren that they would go to you before, and prepare this blessing before promised, to be ready, so as a blessing, not as covetousness.
GNV: Wherefore, I thought it necessarie to exhort the brethren to come before vnto you, and to finish your beneuolence appointed afore, that it might be readie, and come as of beneuolence, and not as of niggardlinesse.

Word by word Greek · tap a word

Words in brackets are English the glossers added; the Greek has no word for them, and they can carry a choice of tense or meaning.

Where the editions differ

Editions are published forms of the Hebrew and Greek texts. Meet the editions and sources →

NA28, NA27, Tyndale House, SBLGNT (2010), Westcott–Hort, Textus Receptus, Byzantine text read εἰς (“into”); Tregelles read πρὸς (“upto”).
NA28, NA27, Tyndale House, SBLGNT (2010), Westcott–Hort, Tregelles read προεπηγγελμένην (“having pre-promised”); Textus Receptus, Byzantine text read προκατηγγελμένην (“pre-announced”).
NA28, NA27, Tyndale House, SBLGNT (2010), Westcott–Hort, Tregelles, Byzantine text read ὡς (“as”); Textus Receptus read ὡσπερ (“as”).

SBLGNT apparatus (2)

A comparison of published Greek editions. “Add” means after the SBLGNT wording; “omit” refers to that wording.

SBLGNT: εἰς. Westcott and Hort (1881), Nestle–Aland 28th edition, Robinson–Pierpont read εἰς; Tregelles read πρὸς.
SBLGNT: προεπηγγελμένην. Westcott and Hort (1881), Tregelles, Nestle–Aland 28th edition read προεπηγγελμένην; Robinson–Pierpont read προκατηγγελμένην.

Edition differences: STEP Bible, based on work at Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0). Names and codes expanded; consecutive words grouped. Comparisons follow the editions used by the source; see version details.

Original-language editions

SBLGNT: ἀναγκαῖον οὖν ἡγησάμην παρακαλέσαι τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς ἵνα προέλθωσιν εἰς ὑμᾶς καὶ προκαταρτίσωσι τὴν προεπηγγελμένην εὐλογίαν ὑμῶν, ταύτην ἑτοίμην εἶναι οὕτως ὡς εὐλογίαν καὶ μὴ ὡς πλεονεξίαν.
RP2018: Ἀναγκαῖον οὖν ἡγησάμην παρακαλέσαι τοὺς ἀδελφούς, ἵνα προέλθωσιν εἰς ὑμᾶς, καὶ προκαταρτίσωσιν τὴν προκατηγγελμένην εὐλογίαν ὑμῶν, ταύτην ἑτοίμην εἶναι, οὕτως ὡς εὐλογίαν καὶ μὴ ὡς πλεονεξίαν.
TR-Boyd: Ἀναγκαῖον οὖν ἡγησάμην παρακαλέσαι τοὺς ἀδελφούς, ἵνα προέλθωσιν εἰς ὑμᾶς, καὶ προκαταρτίσωσι τὴν προκατηγγελμένην εὐλογίαν ὑμῶν, ταύτην ἑτοίμην εἶναι, οὕτως ὡς εὐλογίαν καὶ μὴ ὥσπερ πλεονεξίαν.
SCR1894: αναγκαιον ουν ηγησαμην παρακαλεσαι τους αδελφους ινα προελθωσιν εις υμας και προκαταρτισωσιν την προκατηγγελμενην ευλογιαν υμων ταυτην ετοιμην ειναι ουτως ως ευλογιαν και μη ωσπερ πλεονεξιαν

In the reference works topics that cite this verse

Emulation Bountifulness; Bounty Collection Tact Corinth Alms Beneficence Church Government Grace Church

From public-domain Bible dictionaries and topical indexes (1884–1915).

Cross-references most cited first

Genesis 33:11Please accept my gift that was brought to you, because God has been gracious to me and I have all I need.” So Jacob pressed him until he accepted.
1 Samuel 25:27Now let this gift your servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who follow you.
Philippians 4:17Not that I am seeking a gift, but I am looking for the fruit that may be credited to your account.
1 Samuel 30:26When David arrived in Ziklag, he sent some of the plunder to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, “Here is a gift for you from the plunder of the LORD’s enemies.”
2 Corinthians 8:6So we urged Titus to help complete your act of grace, just as he had started it.
2 Corinthians 12:17–18Did I exploit you by anyone I sent you? I urged Titus to visit you, and I sent our brother with him. Did Titus exploit you in any way? Did we not walk in the same Spirit and follow in the same footsteps?
2 Kings 5:15Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God, stood before him, and declared, “Now I know for sure that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.”
Judges 1:15“Give me a blessing,” she answered. “Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me springs of water as well.” So Caleb gave her both the upper and lower springs.
1 Corinthians 16:2On the first day of every week, each of you should set aside a portion of his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will be needed.

From the OpenBible.info cross-reference set (votes from readers; not every link is a quotation or allusion).