Furthermore we make known to you, brothers, the  ¹grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia,

That in much  ¹proving of affliction the abundance of their joy and the depth of their poverty abounded unto the riches of their  ²liberality;

That according to their power, I testify, and beyond their power, of their own accord,

With much entreaty they besought of us the  ¹grace and the fellowship of the ministry to the saints;

And this, not as we had hoped, but they gave themselves  ¹first to the Lord,  ²and to us  ³through the will of God.

So we entreated Titus that, even as he began before, so also he would complete for you this  ¹grace  ²as well.

But just as you abound in everything, in faith and in  ¹word and in knowledge and in all  ²earnestness and in  ³the love in you  ⁴from us, abound in this  ⁵grace also.

I am not speaking by way of command but through the earnestness of others, proving also the genuineness of your love.

For you know the  ¹grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, for your sakes He became poor in order that you, because of His poverty, might become rich.

And I give my  ¹opinion in this matter, for this is profitable for you who were the first to begin a year ago not only to do this but even to intend to do this.

But now complete also the doing, so that as there was the eagerness in intending, so also there would be the completing out of what you have.

For if the eagerness is there, it is acceptable according to whatever one has, not according to what he does not have.

For it is not that to others there would be relief, yet to you affliction,

But it is out of equality; at the present time your abundance for their lack that their abundance also may be for your lack, so that there may be equality;

As it is written,  ¹“He who gathered much had no excess, and he who gathered little had no lack.”

But thanks be to God who puts the same  ¹earnestness on your behalf in the heart of Titus,

Because he not only received the  ¹entreaty, but being more earnest, he also went forth of his own accord to you.

And we sent together with him the brother whose praise in the gospel is throughout all the churches,

And not only this, but who has also been selected by the churches as our fellow traveler in this  ¹grace which is being ministered by us, to the glory of the Lord Himself and to demonstrate our eagerness;

 ¹Avoiding this, that anyone should find fault with us in this  ²abundance which is being ministered by us.

For we  ¹exercise foresight for what is honorable not only in the sight of the Lord but also in the sight of men.

And we sent with them  ¹our brother, whom we have proved to be  ²diligent in many things many times, yet now much more  ²diligent because of the great confidence he has toward you.

Whether concerning Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker for you; or our brothers, they are  ¹apostles of the churches, they are Christ's glory.

Show therefore to them, in the face of the churches, the proof of your love and of our boasting on your behalf.

A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
And favor is better than silver and gold.

The rich and the poor have this in common:
Jehovah is the maker of them all.

A prudent man sees evil and hides himself,
But the simple pass on and suffer punishment for it.

The reward of humility and the fear of Jehovah
Are riches and honor and life.

Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;
He who guards his soul will keep far from them.

Train up a child according to the way he should go;
Even when he is old, he will not depart from it.

The rich man rules over the poor,
And the borrower is servant to the lender.

He who sows injustice will reap iniquity,
And the rod of his wrath will fail.  ¹

He who is generous will be blessed,
For he gives some of his bread to the poor.

Cast out the scorner, and contention will go out;
Indeed, strife and dishonor will cease.

He who loves pureness of heart
And whose speech is gracious will have the king as his friend.

The eyes of Jehovah preserve knowledge,
But He overthrows the words of the treacherous man.

The sluggard says, There is a lion outside!
I will be slain in the streets!

The mouth of strange women is a deep pit;
He with whom Jehovah is indignant will fall in there.

Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;
But the rod of correction will drive it far from him.

He who oppresses the poor to multiply his gain,
And he who gives to the rich will only come to want.

Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise,
And apply your heart to my knowledge;

For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you;
Let them be ready on your lips.

So that your trust may be in Jehovah,
I have made them known to you today, even to you.

Have not I written to you  ¹excellent things
Of counsels and knowledge,

To make you know the certainty of the words of truth,
That you may answer back words of truth to those who send you?

Do not rob the poor, because he is poor;
Nor oppress the afflicted in the gate;

For Jehovah will plead their cause,
And rob the life of those who rob them.

Make no friendship with a man who is given to anger,
And with a wrathful man do not go;

Lest you learn his ways
And get a snare for your soul.

Do not be one of those who give their hand as a pledge
Or one of those who are a surety for debts.

If you have nothing with which to pay,
Why should your bed be taken away from under you?

Do not remove the ancient boundary marker,
Which your fathers have set up.

Do you see a man skilled in his work?
He will stand before kings;
He will not stand before obscure men.

When you sit to eat with a ruler,
Consider carefully  ¹who is before you;

And put a knife to your throat
If you are a man of great appetite.

Do not desire his delicacies,
For they are deceitful food.

Do not weary yourself to become rich;
Cease from your consideration of it.

When you set your eyes upon it, it is gone;
For wealth certainly makes itself wings,
Like an eagle that flies toward heaven.

Do not eat the bread of one who is envious,
And do not desire his delicacies;

For as he thinks within himself, so he is.
He says to you, Eat and drink;
But his heart is not with you.

You will vomit up the morsel which you have eaten,
And waste your pleasant words.

Do not speak in the hearing of a fool,
For he will despise the wisdom of your words.

Do not remove the ancient boundary marker,
Or go into the fields of the fatherless;

For their Redeemer is strong;
He will plead their cause against you.

Apply your heart to instruction,
And your ears to words of knowledge.

Do not withhold correction from a child;
If you beat him with the rod, he will not die.

If you beat him with the rod,
You will deliver his soul from Sheol.

My son, if your heart is wise,
My own heart will also rejoice;

My inward parts will also exult,
When your lips speak right things.

Do not let your heart envy sinners,
But live in the fear of Jehovah all day long;

For surely there is a latter end,
And your hope will not be cut off.

Listen, my son, and be wise,
And direct your heart in the way.

Do not be among those who get drunk with wine,
Among gluttonous eaters of flesh;

For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty,
And drowsiness will clothe them with rags.

Listen to your father who begot you,
And do not despise your mother when she is old.

Buy truth, and do not sell it;
Buy wisdom and instruction and understanding.

The father of the righteous man will greatly exult,
And he who begets a wise child will rejoice in him.

Let your father and your mother rejoice,
And let her who bore you exult.

My son, give me your heart,
And let your eyes  ¹observe my ways.

For a harlot is a deep pit,
And an adulteress is a narrow well.

Indeed, she lies in wait as a robber,
And increases the number of the treacherous among men.

Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions?
Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness
of eyes?

Those who linger late over wine,
Those who go to seek out mixed wines.

Do not look upon the wine when it is red,
When it sparkles in the cup,
When it goes down smoothly;

In the end it bites like a serpent,
And stings like an adder.

Your eyes will see strange things,
And your heart will utter perverse things;

And you will be like one who lies down while at sea,
Or like one who lies down at the top of a mast.

They struck me, you will say, but I was not hurt;
They beat me, but I did not feel it;
When will I awake? I will seek another drink.