2 Corinthians 11

1 I hope you will bear with a little of my foolishness, but you are already doing that.

I could wish ye would bear with me as to some little foolishness, —Nay! do even bear with me!

2 I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. For I promised you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

For I am jealous over you with a jealousy, of God; for I myself betrothed you unto one husband, to present, a chaste virgin, unto the Christ, —

3 I am afraid, however, that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may be led astray from your simple and pure devotion to Christ.

But I fear lest, by any means, as, the serpent, completely deceived Eve, in his craftiness, your minds should be corrupted from the singleness [and the chasteness] which are [due] unto the Christ.

4 For if someone comes and proclaims a Jesus other than the One we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit than the One you received, or a different gospel than the one you accepted, you put up with it way too easily.

For, if, indeed, he that cometh, is proclaiming, another Jesus, whom we have not proclaimed, or, a different Spirit, ye are receiving, which ye had not received, or a different glad-message, which ye have never welcomed, ye are, well, bearing.

5 I consider myself in no way inferior to those “super-apostles.”

For I reckon not to have come a whit behind the exceeding overmuch apostles;

6 Although I am not a polished speaker, I am certainly not lacking in knowledge. We have made this clear to you in every way possible.

And, even if uncultured in my discourse, certainly not in my knowledge, —but, in every way, having made [it] manifest, in all things, unto you.

7 Was it a sin for me to humble myself in order to exalt you, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?

Or, a sin, did I commit—abasing, myself, that, ye, might be exalted, —in that, free of charge, God’s glad-message, I announced unto you?

8 I robbed other churches by accepting their support in order to serve you.

Other assemblies, I despoiled, receiving supplies that I might minister, unto you;

9 And when I was with you and in need, I was not a burden to anyone; for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my needs. I have refrained from being a burden to you in any way, and I will continue to do so.

And, being present with you, and having come short, I was not burdensome to anyone, —for, my deficiency, the brethren, coming from Macedonia, helped to make up; —and, in everything, without burden unto you, I kept, myself—and will keep!

10 As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia.

Truth of Christ is in me, that, this boasting, shall not be silenced unto me, in the regions of Achaia.

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

Wherefore? Because I love you not? God, knoweth!

12 But I will keep on doing what I am doing, in order to undercut those who want an opportunity to be regarded as our equals in the things of which they boast.

But, what I am doing, I also will do, —that I may cut off the occasion of them who are wishing an occasion, that, wherein they are boasting themselves, they may be found even as also, we.

13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.

For, such as these, are false apostles, deceitful workers, transfiguring themselves into apostles of Christ.

14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.

And no marvel! for, Satan himself, doth transfigure himself into a messenger of light!

15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their actions.

No great thing, therefore, if, his ministers also, are transfiguring themselves as ministers of righteousness!—whose end, shall be according to their works.

16 I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then receive me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little.

Again, I say—let no one deem me to be, foolish; but, otherwise, at least, as foolish, give me welcome, that, I also, some little, may boast myself.

17 In this confident boasting of mine, I am not speaking as the Lord would, but as a fool.

What I am saying, not according to the Lord, am I saying, but as in foolishness, —in this my boastful confidence!

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

Since, many, are boasting after the flesh, I also, will boast;

19 For you gladly tolerate fools, since you are so wise.

For, gladly, do ye bear with the foolish, being [yourselves], discreet, —

20 In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or exalts himself or strikes you in the face.

For ye bear with it—if anyone enslaveth you, if any devoureth, if anyone taketh, if anyone lifteth himself up, if anyone, on the face, doth smite you!

21 To my shame I concede that we were too weak for that! Speaking as a fool, however, I can match what anyone else dares to boast about.

By way of disparagement, am I speaking, —as though, we, had been weak! whereas, in whatsoever anyone dareth, in foolishness I speak, I also, dare: —

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

Hebrews, are they? I also, Israelites, are they? I also, seed of Abraham, are they? I also,

23 Are they servants of Christ? I am speaking like I am out of my mind, but I am so much more: in harder labor, in more imprisonments, in worse beatings, in frequent danger of death.

Ministers of Christ, are they? As one deranged I am talking, I, above measure!—in toils, superabundantly, in prisons, superabundantly, in stripes, to excess, in deaths, oft, —

24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.

From Jews, five times, forty-save-one, have I received,

25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked. I spent a night and a day in the open sea.

Thrice, have I been beaten with rods, once, have I been stoned, thrice, have I been shipwrecked, a day and night, in the deep, have I spent;

26 In my frequent journeys, I have been in danger from rivers and from bandits, in danger from my countrymen and from the Gentiles, in danger in the city and in the country, in danger on the sea and among false brothers,

In journeyings oft, in perils of rivers, in perils of robbers, in perils from my own race, in perils from Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the desert, in perils by the sea, in perils among false brethren,

27 in labor and toil and often without sleep, in hunger and thirst and often without food, in cold and exposure.

in toil and hardship, in watchings, oft, in hunger and thirst, in fasting, oft, in cold and nakedness: —

28 Apart from these external trials, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.

Apart from the things without, my daily care, —my anxiety for all the assemblies; —

29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not burn with grief?

Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is caused to stumble, and, I, am not burning?

30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.

If, to boast, is needful, in the things that concern my weakness, will I boast.

31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is forever worthy of praise, knows that I am not lying. (aiōn g165)

The God and Father of our Lord Jesus, knoweth—He who is blessed unto the ages—that I am not speaking falsely: (aiōn g165)

32 In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas secured the city of the Damascenes in order to arrest me.

In Damascus, the governor under Aretas the king, was guarding the city of Damascenes, to apprehend me, —

33 But I was lowered in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his grasp.

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