2 Corinthians 11

1 Would that ye would bear with me [in] a little folly; but indeed bear with me.

I hope you can put up with a little more foolishness from me—well you already do put up with me!

2 For I am jealous as to you with a jealousy [which is] of God; for I have espoused you unto one man, to present [you] a chaste virgin to Christ.

I agonize over you with a divine kind of jealousy, for I promised you to a single husband—Christ—so that I could present you as a pure virgin to him.

3 But I fear lest by any means, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craft, [so] your thoughts should be corrupted from simplicity as to the Christ.

I worry that in some way, just as the serpent deceived Eve with his devious cunning, that you might be led astray in your thinking from your sincere and pure commitment to Christ.

4 For if indeed he that comes preaches another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or ye get a different Spirit, which ye have not got, or a different glad tidings, which ye have not received, ye might well bear with [it].

If anyone comes and tells you about a different Jesus to the one we shared with you, you easily go along with them, accepting a different spirit to the one you received, and a different kind of good news to the one you believed.

5 For I reckon that in nothing I am behind those who are in surpassing degree apostles.

I don't believe I'm inferior to these “super-apostles.”

6 But if [I am] a simple person in speech, yet not in knowledge, but in everything making [the truth] manifest in all things to you.

Even though I may not be skilled in giving speeches, I do know what I'm talking about. We have made this absolutely clear to you in every way.

7 Have I committed sin, abasing myself in order that ye might be exalted, because I gratuitously announced to you the glad tidings of God?

Was it wrong of me to humble myself so you could be elevated, since I shared the good news with you at no charge?

8 I spoiled other assemblies, receiving hire for ministry towards you.

I robbed as it were other churches, taking pay from them so I could work for you.

9 And being present with you and lacking, I did not lazily burden any one, (for the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied what I lacked, ) and in everything I kept myself from being a burden to you, and will keep myself.

When I was there with you and needed something, I wasn't a burden to anyone because the believers who came from Macedonia took care of my needs. I was determined never to be a burden to you and I never shall.

10 [The] truth of Christ is in me that this boasting shall not be stopped as to me in the regions of Achaia.

This is as certain as the truth of Christ that is in me: nobody in all Achaia will stop me boasting about this!

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

And why? Because I don't love you? God knows that I do!

12 But what I do, I will also do, that I may cut off the opportunity of those wishing [for] an opportunity, that wherein they boast they may be found even as we.

I'll continue to do what I've always done, so as to remove any opportunity for those who want to boast that their work is the same as ours.

13 For such [are] false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.

These people are false apostles, dishonest workers, who pretend to be apostles of Christ.

14 And [it is] not wonderful, for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.

Don't be surprised at this for even Satan himself pretends to be an angel of light.

15 It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also transform themselves as ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

So it's no wonder then if those who serve him pretend to be agents of good. But their final end will be in accordance with what they've done.

16 Again I say, Let not any one think me to be a fool; but if otherwise, receive me then even as a fool, that I also may boast myself some little.

Let me say it again: please don't think I'm being foolish. However, even if you do, accept me as someone who is foolish, and let me also boast a little.

17 What I speak I do not speak according to [the] Lord, but as in folly, in this confidence of boasting.

What I'm saying is not as the Lord would say it—all this foolish boasting.

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

But since many others are boasting in the way the world does, let me boast too.

19 For ye bear fools readily, being wise.

(You're happy to put up with fools, since you are so wise!)

20 For ye bear if any one bring you into bondage, if any one devour [you], if any one get [your money], if any one exalt himself, if any one beat you on the face.

You put up with people who make you slaves, who take what you have, who exploit you, who arrogantly put you down, who hit you in the face.

21 I speak as to dishonour, as though we had been weak; but wherein any one is daring, (I speak in folly, ) I also am daring.

I'm so sorry that we were too weak to do anything like that! But whatever people dare to boast about, I dare to do too. (Here I'm talking like a fool again.)

22 Are they Hebrews? I also. Are they Israelites? I also. Are they seed of Abraham? I also.

Are they Hebrews? Me too. Are they Israelites? Me too. Are they descendants of Abraham? Me too.

23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as being beside myself) I above measure [so]; in labours exceedingly abundant, in stripes to excess, in prisons exceedingly abundant, in deaths oft.

Are they servants of Christ? (I know I'll sound like I'm crazy, talking like this.) But I have done so much more. I've worked harder, been imprisoned more often, whipped more times than I can count, faced death time and again.

24 From the Jews five times have I received forty [stripes], save one.

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

25 Thrice have I been scourged, once I have been stoned, three times I have suffered shipwreck, a night and day I passed in the deep:

Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent twenty-four hours adrift on the ocean.

26 in journeyings often, in perils of rivers, in perils of robbers, in perils from [my own] race, in perils from [the] nations, in perils in [the] city, in perils in [the] desert, in perils on [the] sea, in perils among false brethren;

During my many journeys I have faced the dangers of crossing rivers, robber gangs, attacks from my own countrymen, as well as from foreigners. I have faced danger in cities, in the deserts, and on the sea. I have faced the danger of people who pretend to be Christians.

27 in labour and toil, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.

I have faced hard labor and struggles, many sleepless nights, hungry and thirsty, often going without food, cold, without enough clothing to keep warm.

28 Besides those things that are without, the crowd [of cares] pressing on me daily, the burden of all the assemblies.

Besides all this, I face the daily concerns of dealing with all the churches.

29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is stumbled, and I burn not?

Who is weak, and I don't feel weak too? Who is led into sin, and I don't burn up?

30 If it is needful to boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity.

If I have to boast, I will boast about how weak I am.

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

The God and Father of the Lord Jesus—may he be praised forever—knows I am not lying. (aiōn g165)

32 In Damascus the ethnarch of Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes shut up, wishing to take me;

While I was in Damascus, the governor under King Aretas had the city guarded in order to capture me.

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

But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the city wall, and so I escaped from him.