2 Corinthians 11

1 O that ye tolerated a little of my foolishness, but tolerate me too.

Put up with me if I am a little foolish: but, truly, you do put up with me.

2 For I am jealous for you with a jealousy of God. For I betrothed you to one husband, a pure virgin to present to the Christ.

For I have a very great care for you: because you have been married by me to one husband, and it is my desire to give you completely holy to Christ.

3 But I fear lest somehow, as the serpent enticed Eve by his craftiness, so your thoughts might be corrupted from the simplicity in the Christ.

But I have a fear, that in some way, as Eve was tricked by the deceit of the snake, your minds may be turned away from their simple and holy love for Christ.

4 For indeed if a man who comes, preaches another Jesus whom we did not preach, or ye receive another spirit that ye did not receive, or another good news that ye did not accept, ye well tolerated it.

For if anyone comes preaching another Jesus from the one whose preachers we are, or if you have got a different spirit, or a different sort of good news from those which came to you, how well you put up with these things.

5 For I reckon to come short in nothing of those, superlative apostles.

For in my opinion, I am in no way less than the most important of the Apostles.

6 But even if I am unskilled in speech, yet not in knowledge, but in everything made known in all things to you.

But though I am rough in my way of talking, I am not so in knowledge, as we have made clear to all by our acts among you.

7 Or did I commit a sin lowering myself so that ye might be lifted up, because I preached to you the good news of God freely?

Or did I do wrong in making myself low so that you might be lifted up, because I gave you the good news of God without reward?

8 I robbed other congregations, having taken a wage in order for your service.

I took money from other churches as payment for my work, so that I might be your servant;

9 And being present with you, and when needy, I was a burden to no man. For the brothers who came from Macedonia, they supplied my need. And in everything I kept and I will keep myself non-burdensome to you.

And when I was present with you, and was in need, I let no man be responsible for me; for the brothers, when they came from Macedonia, gave me whatever was needed; and in everything I kept myself from being a trouble to you, and I will go on doing so.

10 The truth of Christ is in me that this pride in me will not be stopped in the regions of Achaia.

As the true word of Christ is in me, I will let no man take from me this my cause of pride in the country of Achaia.

11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows.

Why? because I have no love for you? let God be judge.

12 But what I do, I also will do, so that I may cut off the opportunity of those who desire an opportunity, that in what they boast, they might appear just as we also.

But what I do, that I will go on doing, so that I may give no chance to those who are looking for one; so that, in the cause of their pride, they may be seen to be the same as we are.

13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves into apostles of Christ.

For such men are false Apostles, workers of deceit, making themselves seem like Apostles of Christ.

14 And no marvel, for even Satan disguises himself into an agent of light.

And it is no wonder; for even Satan himself is able to take the form of an angel of light.

15 Therefore, it is no great thing if his helpers also disguise themselves as helpers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

So it is no great thing if his servants make themselves seem to be servants of righteousness; whose end will be the reward of their works.

16 I say again, let not any man think me to be foolish, but if otherwise-even if as foolish-accept me, so that I also may boast some a little.

I say again, Let me not seem foolish to anyone; but if I do, put up with me as such, so that I may take a little glory to myself.

17 What I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of the boast.

What I am now saying is not by the order of the Lord, but as a foolish person, taking credit to myself, as it seems.

18 Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast.

Seeing that there are those who take credit to themselves after the flesh, I will do the same.

19 For being wise, ye gladly tolerate the foolish.

For you put up with the foolish gladly, being wise yourselves.

20 For ye tolerate it if some man enslaves you, if some man devours you, if some man seizes you, if some man lifts himself up, if some man strikes you on the face.

You put up with a man if he makes servants of you, if he makes profit out of you, if he makes you prisoners, if he puts himself in a high place, if he gives you blows on the face.

21 I speak as from shame, that we were so weak. Yet in whatever any man may be bold in foolishness, I say I too am bold.

I say this by way of shaming ourselves, as if we had been feeble. But if anyone puts himself forward (I am talking like a foolish person), I will do the same.

22 Are they Hebrews? I too. Are they Israelites? I too. Are they a seed of Abraham? I too.

Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they of Israel? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.

23 Are they helpers of Christ? (I speak as being mad) I more: in toils, more abundantly; in stripes, countless; in prisons, more frequently; in deaths often.

Are they servants of Christ? (I am talking foolishly) I am more so; I have had more experience of hard work, of prisons, of blows more than measure, of death.

24 From the Jews five times I received forty save one.

Five times the Jews gave me forty blows but one.

25 Thrice I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, thrice I was shipwrecked, I have done a night and a day in the depth,

Three times I was whipped with rods, once I was stoned, three times the ship I was in came to destruction at sea, a night and a day I have been in the water;

26 in frequent journeys, in perils of flowing waters, in perils of bandits, in perils from my race, in perils from Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils at sea, in perils among false brothers,

In frequent travels, in dangers on rivers, in dangers from outlaws, in dangers from my countrymen, in dangers from the Gentiles, in dangers in the town, in dangers in the waste land, in dangers at sea, in dangers among false brothers;

27 in toil and hardship, in frequent sleeplessness, in hunger and thirst, in frequent fasts, in cold and nakedness.

In hard work and weariness, in frequent watchings, going without food and drink, cold and in need of clothing.

28 Besides the external things, crowding upon me daily is the care of all the congregations.

In addition to all the other things, there is that which comes on me every day, the care of all the churches.

29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is caused to stumble, and I am not made fiery?

Who is feeble and I am not feeble? who is in danger of falling, and I am not angry?

30 If it is necessary to boast, I will boast of the things of my weakness.

If I have to take credit to myself, I will do so in the things in which I am feeble.

31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, he who is blessed into the ages, knows that I do not lie. (aiōn g165)

The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be praise for ever, is witness that the things which I say are true. (aiōn g165)

32 In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king guarded the city of the Damascenes wanting to apprehend me.

In Damascus, the ruler under Aretas the king kept watch over the town of the people of Damascus, in order to take me:

33 And I was lowered in a hamper through a window through the wall, and escaped his hands.

And being let down in a basket from the wall through a window, I got free from his hands.