Second Corinthians

«   Chapter 8   »

1
Brothers, let us tell you about the grace of Allah that was given to the jama'as of chosen people in Macedonia.
أَيُّهَا الْإِخْوَةُ، دَعُونَا نُعْلِمُكُمْ عَنْ فَضْلِ اللهِ الْمَوْهُوبِ إِلَى جَمَاعَاتِ الْمُصْطَفَيْنَ فِي مَقِدُونِيَّا،
2
Their extreme poverty and overflowing joy met in the midst of a trial of difficult suffering. It led to great, overflowing generosity.
وَكَيْفَ اجْتَمَعَ فَقْرُهُمُ الشَّدِيدُ بِفَرَحِهِمِ الْغَامِرِ فِي وَسَطِ مِحْنَةِ الْمُعَانَاةِ الْعَسِيرَةِ لِيَفِيضَ سَخَاؤُهُمُ الْكَبِيرُ،
3
I testify to them that they donated according to their ability, and beyond that, of their free will.
وَأَشْهَدُ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُمْ تَبَرَّعُوا حَسْبَمَا اسْتَطَاعُوا وَفَوْقَ ذَلِكَ بِإِرَادَتِهِمِ الْحُرَّةِ،
4
They also pleaded with us, insisting that we bless them with the opportunity to share in caring for the holy believers.
كَمَا أَنَّهُمْ تَوَسَّلُوا إِلَيْنَا مُلِحِّينَ أَنْ نُبَارِكَهُمْ بِفُرْصَةِ الِاشْتِرَاكِ بِإِعَانَةِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الْمُقَدَّسِينَ،
5
What they did was beyond our expectations, since they gave themselves to our mawla first, and then to us according to the will of Allah.
وَذَلِكَ فَوْقَ تَوَقُّعَاتِنَا، إِذْ وَهَبُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ لِمَوْلَانَا أَوَّلًا، ثُمَّ لَنَا حَسَبَ مَشِيئَةِ اللهِ.
6
So we encouraged Titus to complete this grace in you as he began it.
فَنَاشَدْنَا تِيطُسَ أَنْ يُكَمِّلَ فِيكُمْ هَذَا الْفَضْلَ الَّذِي بَدَأَهُ.
7
You are overflowing with trust, logic, knowledge, total striving, your love for us, and everything else. So let this grace in you increase, too.
وَكَمَا يَفِيضُ عِنْدَكُمُ التَّوَكُّلُ وَالْمَنْطِقُ وَالْمَعْرِفَةُ وَالِاجْتِهَادُ الْكَامِلُ وَمَحَبَّتُكُمْ لَنَا وَكُلُّ شَيْءٍ آخَرَ، فَلْيَكْثُرْ هَذَا الْفَضْلُ فِيكُمْ أَيْضًا،
8
What I say is not a command, but rather a test of the sincerity of your love by the striving of others.
لَيْسَ قَوْلِي هَذَا أَمْرًا بَلِ امْتِحَانًا لِصِدْقِ مَحَبَّتِكُمْ بِاجْتِهَادِ غَيْرِكُمْ،
9
You know the grace of our mawla Isa Al-Masih. He was rich, and he made himself poor for your benefit, so that you could be rich by his poverty.
إِذْ تَعْرَفُونَ فَضْلَ مَوْلَانَا عِيسَى الْمَسِيحِ، كَيْفَ كَانَ غَنِيًّا وَأَفْقَرَ نَفْسَهُ لِصَالِحِكُمْ حَتَّى تَغْتَنُوا أَنْتُمْ بِفَقْرِهِ.
10
Let me give you my opinion: Since last year, you have intended to donate, and you began to work on that. So it is good for you
دَعُونِي أُعْطِيكُمْ رَأْيِي: نَوَيْتُمْ مُنْذُ الْعَامِ الْمَاضِي أَنْ تَتَبَرَّعُوا وَبَدَأْتُمُ الْعَمَلَ فِي ذَلِكَ، فَخَيْرٌ لَكُمُ
11
now to complete the work. Then your doing the work would be consistent with your intention according to what you have.
الْآنَ أَنْ تُكَمِّلُوا الْعَمَلَ حَتَّى يَكُونَ قِيَامُكُمْ بِذَلِكَ الْعَمَلِ مُوَافِقًا لِنِيَّتِكُمْ حَسْبَمَا هُوَ عِنْدَكُمْ،
12
If the intention is present, Allah will accept the gift according to what you own, not according to what you do not own.
فَإِنْ كَانَتِ النِّيَّةُ مَوْجُودَةً، فَاللهُ يَقْبَلُ الْعَطَاءَ حَسْبَمَا تَمْلِكُونَ لَا حَسْبَمَا لَا تَمْلِكُونَ.
13
I do not want others to be at ease at the expense of your suffering. Rather I want equality.
لَا أُرِيدُ رَاحَةَ الْآخَرِينَ عَلَى حِسَابِ مُعَانَاتِكُمْ، بَلْ أُرِيدُ الْمُسَاوَاةَ،
14
Then your current overflow will make up for their lack, and their future overflow will make up for your lack. In that way, there will be equality.
حَتَّى يُعَوِّضَ فَائِضُكُمُ الْحَالِي نَقْصَهُمْ، وَيُعَوِّضَ فَائِضُهُمُ الْمُسْتَقْبَلِي نَقْصَكُمْ، وَذَلِكَ عَلَى سَبِيلِ الْمُسَاوَاةِ،
15
This is in confirmation of what is written in the kitab of Allah: "The one with much did not overflow at all, and the one with little did not lack anything."
مِصْدَاقًا لِمَا وَرَدَ فِي كِتَابِ اللهِ: «ذُو الْكَثِيرِ لَمْ يَفِضْ عَنْهُ شَيْءٌ وَذُو الْقَلِيلِ لَمْ يَنْقُصْ مِنْهُ شَيْءٌ.»
16
Alhamdulillah! He planted striving like my striving for you in the heart of Titus.
اَلْحَمْدُ لِلهِ الَّذِي غَرَسَ فِي قَلْبِ تِيطُسَ اجْتِهَادًا مِثْلَ اجْتِهَادِي لَكُمْ،
17
He responded to our request of him. Even more so, he strived with his will and went to you.
إِذْ لَبَّى طَلَبَنَا لَهُ، بَلِ اجْتَهَدَ بِإِرَادَتِهِ فَذَهَبَ إِلَيْكُمْ،
18
We sent with him the brother who is famous among all the jama'as of chosen people for spreading the good news.
وَبَعَثْنَا مَعَهُ الْأَخَ الذَّائِعَ الصِّيتِ بَيْنَ جَمَاعَاتِ الْمُصْطَفَيْنَ كُلِّهَا بِنَشْرِ الْبُشْرَى،
19
The jama'as chose him to accompany us in the service of this grace, to the splendor of our mawla and according to our desire.
وَالَّذِي اخْتَارَتْهُ الْجَمَاعَاتُ لِيُرَافِقَنَا فِي خِدْمَةِ هَذَا الْفَضْلِ إِجْلَالًا لِمَوْلَانَا وَوَفْقًا لِرَغْبَتِنَا،
20
In this way, we avoid any criticism about the way this generous gift is delivered.
مُتَجَنِّبِينَ بِهَذَا أَيَّ انْتِقَادٍ حَوْلَ طَرِيقَةِ إِيصَالِ هَذِهِ الْهِبَةِ الْكَرِيمَةِ،
21
We are careful to be honest, not only with our Rabb, but with people, too.
لِأَنَّنَا نَحْرِصُ عَلَى الصِّدْقِ لَا عِنْدَ رَبِّنَا وَحْدَهُ، بَلْ عِنْدَ النَّاسِ أَيْضًا.
22
We also sent with the two of them our brother whose striving we have felt and proved in many matters. He is now striving even more because of his great confidence in you.
كَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مَعَهُمَا أَخَانَا الَّذِي لَمَسْنَا بِالْبُرْهَانِ اجْتِهَادَهُ فِي كَثِيرٍ مِنَ الْأُمُورِ، وَهُوَ الْآنَ أَكْثَرُ اجْتِهَادًا بِفَضْلِ ثِقَتِهِ الْكَبِيرَةِ فِيكُمْ.
23
Titus is my partner and he works with me among you. The two brothers are messengers of the jama'as of the chosen people, and they are the glory of Al-Masih.
أَمَّا تِيطُسُ، فَهُوَ شَرِيكِي الَّذِي يَعْمَلُ مَعِي بَيْنَكُمْ. وَأَمَّا الْأَخَوَانِ، فَهُمَا مَبْعُوثَا جَمَاعَاتِ الْمُصْطَفَيْنَ وَمَجْدُ الْمَسِيحِ،
24
So show them evidence of your love and the reason for our boasting in you before the jama'as of chosen people.
فَبَيِّنُوا لَهُمْ دَلِيلَ مَحَبَّتِكُمْ وَسَبَبَ افْتِخَارِنَا بِكُمْ أَمَامَ جَمَاعَاتِ الْمُصْطَفَيْنَ.