| Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. | You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” |
| But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee. | But who am I, and who are my people, that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us! |
|
| A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men. | Giving a gift can open doors; it gives access to important people! |
| The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself. | The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. |
| For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. | Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have. |
| Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. | Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back. |
| Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase. | Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. |
| Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God. | Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. |
| Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness. | For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. |
| And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work. | And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. |
| Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. | Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it’s in your power to help them. |
| Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. | “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!” |
| Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. | When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. |
| Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. | Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back. |
| Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. | Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. |
| He coveteth greedily all the day long: but the righteous giveth and spareth not. | Some people are always greedy for more, but the godly love to give! |
| Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. | Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” |
| And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. | If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. |
| The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth. | The wicked borrow and never repay, but the godly are generous givers. |
| But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. | But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. |
| Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. | Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received! |
| Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength. | And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!” |
| Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy. | Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice. |
| But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. | Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. |
| He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise. | John replied, “If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry.” |
