1 و َالآنَ أيُّها الإخوَةُ، نُرِيدُ أنْ نُطلِعَكُمْ عَلَى نِعمَةِ اللهِ الَّتِي أُعطِيَتْ لِلكَنائِسِ فِي مُقاطَعَةِ مَكدُونِيَّةَ.

Christian brothers, we want you to know how the loving-favor of God has been shown in the churches in the country of Macedonia.

2 ف َرُغمَ الضِّيقاتِ الشَّدِيدَةِ الَّتِي امتُحِنُوا بِها، إلّا أنَّ فَيضَ سَعادَتِهِمْ وَشِدَّةَ فَقرِهِمْ فاضا فِي كَرَمِهِمُ الوافِرِ.

They have been put to the test by much trouble, but they have much joy. They have given much even though they were very poor.

3 و َيُمكِنُنِي أنْ أشهَدَ أنَّهُمْ أعطُوا عَلَى قَدَرِ استِطاعَتِهِمْ، بَلْ وَفَوقَ استِطاعَتِهِمْ. وَقَدْ فَعَلُوا هَذا بِمُبادَرَةٍ مِنهُمْ.

They gave as much as they could because they wanted to.

4 و َظَلُّوا يَرجُونَنا بِإلحاحٍ فِي ما يَتَعَلَّقُ بِهَذِهِ النِّعمَةِ، لِكَي يُشارِكُوا فِي هَذِهِ الخِدمَةِ لِشَعبِ اللهِ.

They asked from their hearts if they could help the Christians in Jerusalem.

5 و َلَمْ يُعطُوا كَما تَوَقَّعنا، بَلْ أعْطُوا أنفُسَهُمْ أوَّلاً لِلرَّبِّ، ثُمَّ لَنا انسِجاماً مَعَ مَشِيئَةِ اللهِ.

It was more than we expected. They gave themselves to the Lord first. Then they gave themselves to us to be used as the Lord wanted.

6 و َقَدْ طَلَبنا مِنْ تِيطُسَ أنْ يُكمِلَ مِنْ أجلِكُمْ عَمَلَ النِّعمَةِ الَّذِي ابتَدَأهُ.

We asked Titus to keep on helping you finish this act of love. He was the one to begin this.

7 ف َأنتُمْ أغنِياءٌ مِنْ كُلِّ ناحِيَةٍ: فِي الإيمانِ، وَفِي الكَلامِ، وَفِي المَعرِفَةِ، وَفِي الحَماسَةِ لِتَقدِيْمِ العَونِ بِكُلِّ طَرِيْقَةٍ، وَفِي المَحَبَّةِ الَّتِي تَعَلَّمْتُمُوها مِنّا. لِهَذا يَنبَغِي أنْ تَكُونُوا أغنِياءَ فِي نِعمَةِ العَطاءِ أيضاً.

You are rich in everything. You have faith. You can preach. You have much learning. You have a strong desire to help. And you have love for us. Now do what you should about giving also.

8 و َأنا لا أقُولُ هَذا آمِراً إيّاكُمْ، لَكِنِّي بِحَدِيْثِي عَنْ حَماسَةِ الآخَرِينَ، أمتَحِنُ أصالَةَ مَحَبَّتِكُمْ.

I am not saying that you must do this, but I have told you how others have helped. This is a way to prove how true your love is.

9 ف َأنتُمْ تَعْرِفونَ النِّعمَةَ الَّتِي أظهَرَها رَبُّنا يَسُوعُ المَسِيحُ. فَمَعَ أنَّهُ كانَ غَنِيّاً، صارَ فَقِيراً مِنْ أجلِكُمْ، لِكَيْ تَصِيرُوا أغنِياءَ بِفَقرِهِ.

You know of the loving-favor shown by our Lord Jesus Christ. He was rich, but He became poor for your good. In that way, because He became poor, you might become rich.

10 و َأُقَدِّمُ رَأياً فِي هَذِهِ المَسألَةِ أيضاً لِفائِدَتِكُمْ. فَقَدْ كُنتُمْ فِي السَّنَةِ الماضِيَةِ أوَّلَ مَنْ رَغِبَ فِي العَطاءِ، وَأوَّلَ مَنْ أعطَى.

This is what I think. You had better finish what you started a year ago. You were the first to want to give a gift of money.

11 ف َالآنَ، أتِمُّوا العَطاءَ أيضاً. فَكَما كانَ لَدَيكُمُ الِاستِعدادُ لِلعَطاءِ وَالرَّغبَةُ فِيهِ سابِقاً، لِيَكُنْ لَدَيْكُمْ أيضاً الِاستِعدادُ الآنَ لإتمامِ هَذِهِ المَهَمَّةِ حَسَبَ ما لَدَيكُمْ.

Now do it with the same strong desires you had when you started.

12 ف َإنْ كانَ الِاستِعدادُ لِلعَطاءِ مَوجُوداً، فَسَتَكُونُ العَطِيَّةُ مَقبُولَةً عَلَى أساسِ ما يَملِكُهُ المَرءُ، لا عَلَى أساسِ ما لا يَملِكُهُ.

If a man is ready and willing to give, he should give of what he has, not of what he does not have.

13 ف َلَيْسَ القَصدُ مِنْ عَطائِكُمْ أنْ تَتَيَسَّرَ أُمُورُ غَيرِكُمْ وَتَتَعَسَّرَ أُمُورُكُمْ. بَلْ يَنْبَغي أنْ يَكُونَ هُناكَ تَوازُنٌ.

This does not mean that others do not have to give and you have to give much. You should share alike.

14 ف َلَدَيكُمُ الآنَ وَفرَةً تَسُدُّ حاجَتَهُمْ، حَتَّى إذا صارَتْ لَدَيهِمْ وَفرَةٌ يَسُدُّونَ حاجَتَكُمْ، فَيَتَحَقَّقُ التَّوازُنُ.

You have more than you need now. When you have need, then they can help you. You should share alike.

15 ف َكَما يَقُولُ الكِتابُ: الَّذِي جَمَعَ كَثِيراً لَمْ يَفِضْ عَنْ حاجَتِهِ، وَالَّذِي جَمَعَ قَلِيلاً لَمْ يَنقُصْهُ شَيءٌ.» تِيطُسُ وَرِفاقُه

The Holy Writings say, “The man who gathered much did not have too much. The man who did not gather much had enough.” Titus Will Be Coming

16 أ شكُرُ اللهَ الَّذِي وَضَعَ فِي قَلبِ تِيطُسَ لَهفَةً كَلَهفَتِنا إلَى مُساعَدَتِكُمْ.

I thank God that He gave Titus the same desire to help you.

17 ف َقَدْ رَحَّبَ بِطَلَبِنا. وَإذْ كانَ مُتَلَهِّفاً جِدّاً، جاءَ لِزِيارَتِكُمْ بِمِلءِ إرادتِهِ.

He was glad when we asked him to help you. He decided himself to go to you.

18 و َها نَحنُ نُرسِلُهُ إلَيكُمْ مَعَ الأخِ الَّذِي تَمدَحُهُ كُلُّ الكَنائِسِ بِسَبَبِ نَشاطِهِ فِي إعلانِ البِشارَةِ.

We are sending the Christian brother along. He is respected in the churches for his preaching.

19 ف َقَدْ عَيَّنَتهُ الكَنائِسُ رَفِيقَ سَفَرٍ لَنا عِندَما نَحمِلُ هَذِهِ العَطِيَّةَ. وَهُوَ العَمَلُ الَّذِي نَقُومُ بِهِ لِنُكرِمَ الرَّبَّ نَفسَهُ، وَلِنُبَيِّنَ استِعدادَنا لِتَقدِيمِ العَونِ.

Not only that, but he has been asked by the churches to travel with me to Jerusalem. He will help in giving them the gift. The Lord will be honored by it because it shows how we want to help each other.

20 و َنَحنُ حَرِيصُونَ عَلَى أنْ لا يَنتَقِدَنا أحَدٌ بِسَبَبِ هَذا العَطاءِ الكَبِيرِ الَّذِي نَتَوَلَّى أمرَهُ.

We want everyone to trust us with the way we take this large gift of money to them.

21 إ ذْ يَهُمُّنا أنْ تَكُونَ لَنا سُمعَةٌ طَيِّبَةٌ لا عِندَ الرَّبِّ فَحَسبُ، بَلْ عِندَ النّاسِ أيضاً.

We want to do the right thing. We want God and men to know we are honest.

22 و َسَنُرسِلُ مَعَهُما أخانا الَّذِي أثبَتَ فِي مَسائِلَ كَثِيرَةٍ وَمُناسَباتٍ عَدِيدَةٍ أنَّ لَدَيهِ حَماسَةٌ لِتَقدِيْمِ العَونِ. وَهُوَ الآنَ أكثَرُ حَماسَةً نَظَراً لِثِقَتِهِ العَظِيْمَةِ بِكُمْ.

We are sending another Christian brother with them. We have tested him many times. His faith has proven to be true. He wants very much to help because he trusts you.

23 و َإنْ كانَ لَدَيكُمْ أيُّ سُؤالٍ حَولَ تِيطُسَ، فَإنِّي أقُولُ لَكُمْ إنَّهُ شَرِيكِي وَعامِلٌ مَعِي فِي خِدمَتِكُمْ. وَأمّا بِالنِّسبَةِ لِأخَوَيْنا اللَذينِ يُرافِقانِهِ، فَأقُولَ إنَّهُما مُمَثِّلانِ لِلكَنائِسِ وَيَخدِمانِ لِمَجدِ المَسِيحِ.

Titus works with me to help you. The other two Christian brothers have been sent by the churches. Their lives honor Christ.

24 ف َبَيِّنُوا لَهُمْ بُرهانَ مَحَبَّتِكُمْ وَسَبَبَ افتِخارِنا بِكُمْ، فَتَرَى كُلُّ الكَنائِسِ ذَلِكَ.

Show these men you love them and let the churches see your love. Show them the reason I am proud of you.