I am not commanding you to do it. But I want to test you. I want to find out if you really love God. I want to compare your love with that of others.

我说这话，不是吩咐你们，乃是藉着别人的热心试验你们爱心的实在。

我说这话，并不是命令你们，而是藉着别人的热忱来考验你们爱心的真诚。

我说这话，并不是命令你们，而是藉着别人的热忱来考验你们爱心的真诚。

我说这话并非命令你们，而是借着别人的热心考验一下你们爱心的真伪。

我这样说，不是吩咐你们，而是藉着别人的热心来考验你们的爱心是否真实。

我说这话不是出于命令，而是要藉着别人的殷勤来考验你们爱的真诚，

我說這話，不是吩咐你們，乃是藉着別人的熱心試驗你們愛心的實在。

我說這話，並不是命令你們，而是藉着別人的熱忱來考驗你們愛心的真誠。

我說這話，並不是命令你們，而是藉着別人的熱忱來考驗你們愛心的真誠。

我說這話並非命令你們，而是藉著別人的熱心考驗一下你們愛心的真偽。

我這樣說，不是吩咐你們，而是藉著別人的熱心來考驗你們的愛心是否真實。

我這不是當命令說的，我乃是要藉着別人的熱切來試驗你們的愛心是不是真的罷了。

我說這話不是出於命令，而是要藉著別人的殷勤來考驗你們愛的真誠，

我言此、非命爾、乃藉他人之懃懇、驗爾仁愛之實、

吾非以此命爾、乃因他人殷勤、欲試爾仁愛之實、

我言此、非命爾、乃因他人之殷勤、欲試爾仁愛之實、

吾作此言、非命令也、乃欲藉他人之熱情、一測爾等愛德之深淺耳。

I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others.

I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine.

I am not commanding you to do this. But I am testing how genuine your love is by comparing it with the eagerness of the other churches.

I am not saying this as a command. Rather, by means of the diligence of others, I am testing the genuineness of your love.

I am not saying this as a command, but as proving, through the earnestness of others, the sincerity of your love as well.

I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others.

I speak not by way of commandment, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity also of your love.

I am not saying this as a command. Rather, by means of the diligence of others, I am testing the genuineness of your love.

I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.

I am not saying this as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of your love by comparison with the eagerness of others.

I speak not by way of commandment, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity also of your love.

I say those things to you as my advice, not as a command.

Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give. You shouldn’t give if you don’t want to. You shouldn’t give because you are forced to. God loves a cheerful giver.

Suppose a person claims to have faith but doesn’t act on their faith. My brothers and sisters, can this kind of faith save them?Suppose a brother or a sister has no clothes or food.Suppose one of you says to them,“ Go. I hope everything turns out fine for you. Keep warm. Eat well.” And suppose you do nothing about what they really need. Then what good have you done?

Let us consider how we can stir up one another to love. Let us help one another to do good works.

We remain pure. We understand completely what it means to serve God. We are patient and kind. We serve him in the power of the Holy Spirit. We serve him with true love.

Brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given to the churches in Macedonia.They have suffered a great deal. But in their suffering, their joy was more than full. Even though they were very poor, they gave very freely.I tell you that they gave as much as they could. In fact, they gave even more than they could. Completely on their own,

Instead, we will speak the truth in love. So we will grow up in every way to become the body of Christ. Christ is the head of the body.

Israel’s sin brought riches to the world. Their loss brings riches to the Gentiles. So then what greater riches will come when all Israel turns to God!I am talking to you who are not Jews. I am the apostle to the Gentiles. So I take pride in the work I do for God and others.I hope somehow to stir up my own people to want what you have. Perhaps I can save some of them.

My people come to you, just as they usually do. They sit in front of you. They hear what you say. But they do not put it into practice. With their mouths they say they love me. But in their hearts they want what belongs to others. They try to get rich by cheating them.

Now I want to say something about virgins. I have no direct command from the Lord. But I give my opinion. Because of the Lord’s mercy, I give it as one who can be trusted.

May grace be given to everyone who loves our Lord Jesus Christ with a love that will never die.

Love must be honest and true. Hate what is evil. Hold on to what is good.

I also have something to say to everyone else. It is from me, not a direct command from the Lord. Suppose a brother has a wife who is not a believer. If she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her.

I know how much you want to help. I have been bragging about it to the people in Macedonia. I have been telling them that since last year you who live in Achaia were ready to give. You are so excited that it has stirred up most of them to take action.

So show them that you really love them. Show them why we are proud of you. Then the churches can see it.

Here is my opinion about what is best for you in that matter. Last year you were the first to give. You were also the first to want to give.

You have made yourselves pure by obeying the truth. So you have an honest and true love for each other. So love one another deeply, from your hearts.

“ So have respect for the Lord. Serve him. Be completely faithful to him. Throw away the gods your people worshiped east of the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord.