2 Corinthians 11

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

If only you would bear with me for a bit in my foolishness! Yes, do 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.

I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy, because I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to 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 am afraid that just as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds will be led astray from simple devotion to 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 someone comes to you and preaches a different message about Jesus than the one we preached, or if you receive a different spirit than the one you received, or a different gospel than the one you accepted, you bear with it well enough.

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

For I consider myself to be in no way inferior to these “super-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.

I may be untrained in speech, but I do not lack knowledge; indeed, in every way we have been made known to you in everything.

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?

Did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?

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

I “robbed” other churches by receiving support from them in order to serve 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.

When I was with you and in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed. I kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and I will continue to do so.

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

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

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

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

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 will continue to do, so that I may deny any opportunity to those who want to be regarded as our equals in what they boast about.

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

For such men are false apostles and deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.

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

And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

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

Therefore it is no great surprise if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will 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.

I repeat: Let no one consider me to be a fool. But if you do, receive me just as you would a fool, so that I too may boast a little.

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

What I say in this confidence of boasting, I am not saying in accordance with the Lord, but as a fool.

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

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

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

For you gladly bear with fools since you are so wise!

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.

You bear with it if anyone enslaves you, devours you, takes advantage of you, exalts himself, or hits you in the face.

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.

To my shame I admit that we were too weak for that! But whatever anyone else dares to boast about—I am speaking like a fool—I also dare to boast about.

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

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

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.

Are they servants of Christ? (I am speaking like I am out of my mind!) I am even more so, with far more labors, with beatings beyond measure, with far more imprisonments, and often facing death.

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

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

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.

Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I spent in the open sea.

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,

I have often been on journeys, exposed to dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, and dangers among false brothers.

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

I have endured labor and hardship, many sleepless nights, and hunger and thirst. I have often gone without food and have been cold due to a lack of sufficient clothing.

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

Apart from these external things, there is my daily burden: my concern for all the churches.

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 made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?

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

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

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 the Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. (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 King Aretas was guarding the city of the Damascenes, wanting to arrest me,

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

but I was let down in a basket through a window in the city wall and escaped from his hands.