2 Corinthians 11

1 I wish you could bear with me a little in my folly; but yet bear with me:

Would to God you could bear with some little of my folly: but do bear with me.

2 for I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy: for I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you a chaste virgin to Christ.

For I am jealous of you with the jealousy of God. For I have espoused you to one husband that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

3 But I fear lest, as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity which pertains to Christ.

But I fear lest, as the serpent seduced Eve by his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted, and fall from the simplicity that is in Christ.

4 For if he that comes should preach another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or, if you receive another Spirit, which you did not receive, or another gospel, which you have not accepted, you would well bear with him.

For if he that cometh preacheth another Christ, whom we have not preached; or if you receive another Spirit, whom you have not received; or another gospel which you have not received; you might well bear with him.

5 I count myself indeed to be in no respect inferior to the very greatest of the apostles.

For I suppose that I have done nothing less than the great apostles.

6 But if I am unpolished in my style of speech, yet I am not so in knowledge. But we have been fully manifested among you in all things.

For although I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but in all things we have been made manifest to you.

7 Have I committed a sin, in making myself lowly, that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel to you without cost?

Or did I commit a fault, humbling myself, that you might be exalted? Because I preached unto you the gospel of God freely?

8 I robbed other churches, taking wages to do you service: and when I was present with you, and wanted, I was not a burden to any one;

I have taken from other churches, receiving wages of them for your ministry.

9 for the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied my wants; and in every thing I have kept myself from being burdensome to you, and will continue to keep myself.

And, when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was wanting to me, the brethren supplied who came from Macedonia; and in all things I have kept myself from being burthensome to you, and so I will keep myself.

10 As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting shall not be silenced, in my case, in the regions of Achaia.

The truth of Christ is in me, that this glorying shall not be broken off in me in the regions of Achaia.

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

Wherefore? Because I love you not? God knoweth it.

12 But what I am doing I will also continue to do, that I may cut off occasion from those who desire an occasion, that in what they boast, they may be found even as we.

But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off the occasion from them that desire occasion, that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.

13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ;

For such false apostles are deceitful workmen, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.

14 and no wonder, for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

And no wonder: for Satan himself transformeth himself into an angel of light.

15 Therefore, it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves so as to be like the ministers of righteousness; of such, the end shall be according to their works.

Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers be transformed as the ministers of justice, whose end shall be according to their works.

16 I say again, let no one think that I am without understanding; but if so, even as one without understanding bear with me, that I also may boast a little.

I say again, (let no man think me to be foolish, otherwise take me as one foolish, that I also may glory a little.)

17 What I say, I say not according to the Lord, but as in folly, in this same confidence of boasting.

That which I speak, I speak not according to God, but as it were in foolishness, in this matter of glorying.

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

Seeing that many glory according to the flesh, I will glory also.

19 For it is a pleasure to you to bear with men of no understanding, since you yourselves are wise.

For you gladly suffer the foolish; whereas yourselves are wise.

20 For you bear it, if one enslave you, if one devour you, if one take from you, if one exalt himself, if one smite you on the face,

For you suffer if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take from you, if a man be lifted up, if a man strike you on the face.

21 I speak of their reproaches, as if we were weak. In whatever matter any one is bold, (I speak foolishly, ) I also am bold.

I speak according to dishonour, as if we had been weak in this part. Wherein if any man dare (I speak foolishly), I dare also.

22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they of the posterity of Abraham? So am I.

They are Hebrews: so am I. They are Israelites: so am I. They are the seed of Abraham: so am I.

23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I say it foolishly, ) I am above them. In labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths often.

They are the ministers of Christ (I speak as one less wise). I am more; in many more labours, in prisons more frequently, in stripes above measure, in deaths often.

24 From the Jews, five times I received forty stripes, save one;

Of the Jews five times did I receive forty stripes, save one.

25 three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I have been shipwrecked; a night and a day I spent in the deep.

Thrice was I beaten with rods, once I was stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I was in the depth of the sea.

26 In journeyings often, in perils from rivers, in perils from robbers, in perils from my own race, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the desert, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;

In journeying often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils from my own nation, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils from false brethren.

27 in weariness and in toil, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness:

In labour and painfulness, in much watchings, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.

28 besides those things which come upon me from other sources, I have a daily concourse of troubles―my anxiety for all the churches.

Besides those things which are without: my daily instance, the solicitude for all the churches.

29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is led into sin, and I am not incensed?

Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is scandalized, and I am not on fire?

30 If I must boast, I will boast in my infirmities.

If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things that concern my infirmity.

31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed for ever, knows that I do not lie. (aiōn g165)

The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed for ever, knoweth that I lie not. (aiōn g165)

32 In Damascus, the governor under Aretas the king, guarded the city of the Damascenes, desiring to apprehend me:

At Damascus, the governor of the nation under Aretas the king, guarded the city of the Damascenes, to apprehend me.

33 and through a window I was let down in a basket through the wall, and escaped his hands.

And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and so escaped his hands.