2 Corinthians 8:5

and this, not as we had hoped, but first they gave their own selves to the Lord, and to us through the will of God.

and not just as we had hoped. Instead, they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us by God’s will.

and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.

and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.

And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.

And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.

They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do.

This was not as we had expected, but first they gave their own selves to the Lord, and to us through the will of God.