2 Corinthians 11

1 I wish that you would endure a small amount of my foolishness, so as to bear with me.

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

2 For I am jealous toward you, with the jealousy of God. And I have espoused you to one husband, offering you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

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.

3 But I am afraid lest, as the serpent led astray Eve by his cleverness, so your minds might be corrupted and might fall away from the simplicity which is in Christ.

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.

4 For if anyone arrives preaching another Christ, one whom we have not preached; or if you receive another Spirit, one whom you have not received; or another Gospel, one which you have not been given: you might permit him to guide you.

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.

5 For I consider that I have done nothing less than the great Apostles.

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

6 For although I may be unskilled in speech, yet I am not so in knowledge. But, in all things, we have been made manifest to you.

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

7 Or did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you would be exalted? For I preached the Gospel of God to you freely.

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?

8 I have taken from other churches, receiving a stipend from them to the benefit of your ministry.

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

9 And when I was with you and in need, I was burdensome to no one. For the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied whatever was lacking to me. And in all things, I have kept myself, and I will keep myself, from being burdensome to you.

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.

10 The truth of Christ is in me, and so this glorying shall not be broken away from me in the regions of Achaia.

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

11 Why so? Is it because I do not love you? God knows I do.

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

12 But what I am doing, I will continue to do, so that I may take away an opportunity from those who desire an opportunity by which they may glory, so as to be considered to be like us.

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.

13 For false apostles, such as these deceitful workers, are presenting themselves as if they were Apostles of Christ.

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

14 And no wonder, for even Satan presents himself as if he were an Angel of light.

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

15 Therefore, it is no great thing if his ministers present themselves as if they were ministers of justice, for their end shall be according to their works.

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

16 I say again. And let no one consider me to be foolish. Or, at least, accept me as if I were foolish, so that I also may glory a small amount.

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.

17 What I am saying is not said according to God, but as if in foolishness, in this matter of glorying.

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

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

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

19 For you freely accept the foolish, though you yourselves claim to be wise.

For being wise, ye gladly tolerate the foolish.

20 For you permit it when someone guides you into servitude, even if he devours you, even if he takes from you, even if he is extolled, even if he strikes you repeatedly on the face.

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.

21 I speak according to disgrace, as if we had been weak in this regard. In this matter, (I speak in foolishness) if anyone dares, I dare also.

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.

22 They are Hebrews; so am I. They are Israelites; so am I. They are the offspring of Abraham; so am I.

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

23 They are the ministers of Christ (I speak as if I were less wise); more so am I: with many more labors, with numerous imprisonments, with wounds beyond measure, with frequent mortifications.

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.

24 On five occasions, I received forty stripes, less one, from the Jews.

From the Jews five times I received forty save one.

25 Three times, I was beaten with rods. One time, I was stoned. Three times, I was shipwrecked. For a night and a day, I was in the depths of the sea.

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,

26 I have made frequent journeys, through dangerous waters, in danger of robbers, in danger from my own nation, in danger from the Gentiles, in danger in the city, in danger in the wilderness, in danger in the sea, in danger from false brothers,

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,

27 with hardships and difficulties, with much vigilance, in hunger and thirst, with frequent fasts, in cold and nakedness,

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

28 and, in addition to these things, which are external: there is my daily earnestness and solicitude for all the churches.

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

29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is scandalized, and I am not being burned?

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

30 If it is necessary to glory, I will glory of the things that concern my weaknesses.

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

31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. (aiōn g165)

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

32 At Damascus, the governor of the nation under Aretas the king, watched over the city of the Damascenes, so as to apprehend me.

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

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

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