2 Corinthians 10

1 And I, Paul, myself, call on you—through the meekness and gentleness of the Christ—who in presence [am] indeed humble among you, and being absent, have courage toward you,

But I Paul exhort you through the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who before your face am indeed humble among you, but being absent am bold towards you:

2 and I implore [you], that, being present, I may not have courage, with the confidence with which I reckon to be bold against certain reckoning us as walking according to the flesh;

but I pray, that being present I may not be bold with the confidence with which I consider myself bold towards certain ones who regard us as walking about according to the flesh.

3 for walking in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,

For walking in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh;

4 for the weapons of our warfare [are] not fleshly, but powerful to God for bringing down of strongholds,

for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty to God unto the pulling down of strongholds;

5 bringing down reasonings, and every high thing lifted up against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of the Christ,

casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

6 and being in readiness to avenge every disobedience whenever your obedience may be fulfilled.

and being ready to avenge every disobedience, when your obedience may be complete.

7 You see the outward appearance. If anyone has trusted in himself to be Christ’s, let him reckon this again from himself, that according as he is Christ’s, so also we [are] Christ’s;

Do you look at things according to the outward appearance? If any has trusted to himself that he belongs to Christ, let him again consider this in reference to himself, that as he belongs to Christ, so do we also.

8 for even if I will also boast anything more abundantly concerning our authority, that the LORD gave us for building up, and not for casting you down, I will not be ashamed,

For if I shall in any thing the more abundantly boast concerning our power which the Lord gave us for your edification, and not for your destruction, I will not be ashamed:

9 that I may not seem as if I would terrify you through the letters,

in order that I may not seem as it were to terrify you by my letters.

10 “because the letters indeed,” says one, “[are] weighty and strong, and the bodily presence weak, and the speech despicable.”

Because they say, His letters are indeed weighty and powerful; but the presence of his body is weak, and his speech contemptible.

11 This one—let him reckon thus: that such as we are in word, through letters, being absent, such also, being present, [we are] in deed.

Let such a one consider this, that, such as we are in word by our letters while absent, such we really are in work being present.

12 For we do not make bold to rank or to compare ourselves with certain of those commending themselves, but they, measuring themselves among themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are not wise,

For we are not bold to number or compare ourselves with certain ones of those who recommend themselves: but they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves to themselves, are not wise.

13 and we will not boast ourselves in regard to the unmeasured things, but after the measure of the line that the God of measure appointed to us—to reach even to you;

But we will not boast in things without measure, but according to the measure of the rule which measure God has measured to us, to reach even unto you.

14 for we do not stretch ourselves too much, as not reaching to you, for even to you we came in the good news of the Christ,

For not as not reaching unto you do we stretch ourselves, for we have advanced in the gospel of Christ even unto you:

15 not boasting of the things not measured, in other men’s labors, and having hope—your faith increasing—in you to be enlarged, according to our line—into abundance,

and not boasting in things without measure, in the labors of others, but having hope of your faith increasing among you, to be magnified according to our rule exceedingly,

16 to proclaim good news in the [places] beyond you, not in another’s line in regard to the things made ready, to boast;

to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, not to glory according to the rule of others in things made ready.

17 and he who is boasting—let him boast in the LORD;

But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord;

18 for he who is commending himself is not approved, but he whom the LORD commends.

for he that commends himself is not approved, but whom the Lord commends.