2 Corinthians 11

1 I WISH ye would bear with me a little in my foolishness, yea indeed bear with me.

I wish you could bear with me a little in my folly; but yet bear with me:

2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy; for I have espoused you to one husband, to present you a chaste virgin to Christ.

for I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy: for I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you a chaste virgin to Christ.

3 But I fear lest as the serpent beguiled Eve by his craftiness, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity which belongs to Christ.

But I fear lest, as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity which pertains to Christ.

4 For if he indeed that cometh preach another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not embraced, ye might well bear with him.

For if he that comes should preach another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or, if you receive another Spirit, which you did not receive, or another gospel, which you have not accepted, you would well bear with him.

5 For I reckon myself to be nothing inferior to the very chief of the apostles.

I count myself indeed to be in no respect inferior to the very greatest of the apostles.

6 For though I may be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but on every occasion we have been made manifest in all things among you.

But if I am unpolished in my style of speech, yet I am not so in knowledge. But we have been fully manifested among you in all things.

7 Am I chargeable with a fault (humbling myself that you might be exalted), that I preached to you the gospel of God freely?

Have I committed a sin, in making myself lowly, that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel to you without cost?

8 I plundered other churches, receiving a provision from them, in order to minister to you.

I robbed other churches, taking wages to do you service: and when I was present with you, and wanted, I was not a burden to any one;

9 And when I was with you, and in want, I was burdensome to no man; for my want the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied; and on every occasion I have kept myself from being burdensome, and will keep myself.

for the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied my wants; and in every thing I have kept myself from being burdensome to you, and will continue to keep myself.

10 I protest, by the truth of Christ in me, that from this boasting no man shall seal up my lips in the regions of Achaia.

As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting shall not be silenced, in my case, in the regions of Achaia.

11 Wherefore? Because I love you not? God knoweth.

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

12 But what I do, I will do also, that I may cut off occasion from those who desire occasion, that wherein they boast, they may be found even as we.

But what I am doing I will also continue to do, that I may cut off occasion from those who desire an occasion, that in what they boast, they may be found even as we.

13 For such are fake apostles, deceitful labourers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ;

14 And no marvel! For Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

and no wonder, for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

15 It is no wonder therefore if his ministers also be transformed as ministers of righteousness; whose end will be according to their works.

Therefore, it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves so as to be like the ministers of righteousness; of such, the end shall be according to their works.

16 I repeat it again, Let no man suppose that I am a fool; but if otherwise, then as a fool receive me, that I too may boast myself a little.

I say again, let no one think that I am without understanding; but if so, even as one without understanding bear with me, that I also may boast a little.

17 What I speak, I speak not after the Lord, but as it were in folly in this confidence of boasting.

What I say, I say not according to the Lord, but as in folly, in this same confidence of boasting.

18 Seeing many boast themselves after the flesh, I will boast also.

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

19 For ye bear with fools easily when you are wise yourselves.

For it is a pleasure to you to bear with men of no understanding, since you yourselves are wise.

20 For ye bear if a man enslave you, if a man eat you up, if a man receive from you, if a man is insolent, if a man smite you on the face.

For you bear it, if one enslave you, if one devour you, if one take from you, if one exalt himself, if one smite you on the face,

21 I speak with reference to the reproach cast on me, as though we were feeble; but wherein any man is bold (I speak in foolishness), I am bold also.

I speak of their reproaches, as if we were weak. In whatever matter any one is bold, (I speak foolishly, ) I also am bold.

22 Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.

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

23 Are they the ministers of Christ? (I speak foolishly) I am above them: in labours more abundantly, in stripes exceedingly more, in prisons more frequently, in the most immediate danger of death often.

Are they ministers of Christ? (I say it foolishly, ) I am above them. In labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths often.

24 Of the Jews five times I have received forty stripes save one.

From the Jews, five times I received forty stripes, save one;

25 Thrice I have been scourged with rods, once I have been stoned, thrice I have suffered shipwreck, a whole night and day I have passed in the deep;

three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I have been shipwrecked; a night and a day I spent in the deep.

26 in journeyings often, in perils of rivers, in perils of robbers, in perils from my own countrymen, in perils from the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the desert, in perils on the sea, in perils among false brethren;

In journeyings often, in perils from rivers, in perils from robbers, in perils from my own race, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the desert, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;

27 in labour and travail, in watchings often, in fastings frequently, in hunger and thirst, in cold and nakedness;

in weariness and in toil, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness:

28 and beside all these things from without, that accumulated burden which cometh on me daily, the care of all the churches.

besides those things which come upon me from other sources, I have a daily concourse of troubles―my anxiety for all the churches.

29 Who is feeble, and am I not feeble? Who is offended, and am I not on fire?

Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is led into sin, and I am not incensed?

30 If I must glory, I will glory in the things which respect my infirmities.

If I must boast, I will boast in my infirmities.

31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not. (aiōn g165)

The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed for ever, knows that I do not lie. (aiōn g165)

32 In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king guarded the city of the Damascenes, intending to seize me;

In Damascus, the governor under Aretas the king, guarded the city of the Damascenes, desiring to apprehend me:

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

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