2 Corinthians 11
1 Would that ye would bear with me [in] a little folly; but indeed bear with me.
I could wish that you would tolerate a little folly in me! But indeed you do tolerate 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 am jealous over you with the jealousy of God. For I betrothed you to one husband, that I might present you to the Christ a pure bride.
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.
Yet I fear that it may turn out that, just as the Serpent by his craftiness deceived Eve, so your minds may have lost the loyalty and purity due from you to the 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].
For, if some new-comer is proclaiming a Jesus other than him whom we proclaimed, or if you are receiving a Spirit different from the Spirit which you received, or a Good News different from that which you welcomed, then you are marvellously tolerant!
5 For I reckon that in nothing I am behind those who are in surpassing degree apostles.
I do not regard myself as in any way inferior to the most eminent 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.
Though I am no trained orator, yet I am not without knowledge; indeed we made this perfectly 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?
Perhaps you say that I did wrong in humbling myself that you might be exalted — I mean because I told you God’s Good News without payment.
8 I spoiled other assemblies, receiving hire for ministry towards you.
I robbed other churches by taking pay from them, so that I might serve 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.
And, when I was with you in need, I did not become a burden to any of you; for our Brothers, on coming from Macedonia, supplied my needs. I kept myself, and will keep myself from being an expense to you in any way.
10 [The] truth of Christ is in me that this boasting shall not be stopped as to me in the regions of Achaia.
As surely as I know anything of the Truth of Christ, this boast, as far as I am concerned, shall not be stopped in any part of Greece.
11 Why? because I do not love you? God knows.
Why? Because I do not 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.
What I am doing now I shall continue to do, that I may cut away the ground from under those who are wishing for some ground for attacking me, so that as regards the thing of which they boast they may appear in their true characters, just as we do.
13 For such [are] false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.
Men of this stamp are false apostles, treacherous workers, disguising themselves as Apostles of Christ!
14 And [it is] not wonderful, for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.
And no wonder; for even Satan disguises himself as 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.
It is not surprising, therefore, if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of Righteousness. But their end will be in accordance with their actions.
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.
I say again — Let no one think me a fool! Yet, if you do, at least welcome me as you would a fool, that I, too may indulge in a little boasting.
17 What I speak I do not speak according to [the] Lord, but as in folly, in this confidence of boasting.
When I speak thus, I am not speaking as the Master would, but as a fool might, in boasting so confidently.
18 Since many boast according to flesh, I also will boast.
As so many are boasting of earthly things, I, too, will boast.
19 For ye bear fools readily, being wise.
For all your cleverness, you tolerate fools willingly enough!
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 tolerate a man even when he enslaves you, when he plunders you, when he gets you into his power, when he puts on airs of superiority, when he strikes 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 admit, to my shame, that we have been weak. But whatever the subject on which others are not afraid to boast — though it is foolish to say so — I am not afraid either!
22 Are they Hebrews? I also. Are they Israelites? I also. Are they seed of Abraham? I also.
Are they Hebrews? So am I! Are they Israelites? So am I! Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I!
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’? Though it is madness to talk like this, I am more so than they! I have had more of toil, more of imprisonment! I have been flogged times without number. I have been often at death’s door.
24 From the Jews five times have I received forty [stripes], save one.
Five times I received at the hands of the Jews forty lashes, all but 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. I have spent a whole day and night in the deep.
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;
My journeys have been many. I have been through dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in towns, dangers in the country, dangers on the sea, dangers among false Brothers.
27 in labour and toil, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
I have been through toil and hardship. I have passed many a sleepless night; I have endured hunger and thirst; I have often been without food; I have known cold and nakedness.
28 Besides those things that are without, the crowd [of cares] pressing on me daily, the burden of all the assemblies.
And, not to speak of other things, there is my daily burden of anxiety about all the Churches.
29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is stumbled, and I burn not?
Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led astray without my burning with indignation?
30 If it is needful to boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity.
If I must boast, I will boast of things which show my weakness!
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 — he who is for ever blessed — knows that I am speaking the truth. (aiōn g165)
32 In Damascus the ethnarch of Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes shut up, wishing to take me;
When I was in Damascus, the Governor under King Aretas had the gates of that city guarded, so as to arrest me,
33 and through a window in a basket I was let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.
but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and so escaped his hands.
