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,

Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence [am] base among you, but being absent am bold toward 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 beseech [you], that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.

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

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after 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 through God to the pulling down of strong holds; )

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 exalteth 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 having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

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 ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ’s, let him of himself think this again, that, as he [is] Christ’s, even so [are] we Christ’s.

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 though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed:

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

That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters.

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

For [his] letters, say they, [are] weighty and powerful; but [his] bodily presence [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 an one think this, that, such as we are in word by letters when we are absent, such [will we be] also in deed when we are 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 dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among 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 of things without [our] measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure 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 we stretch not ourselves beyond [our measure], as though we reached not unto you: for we are come as far as to you also in [preaching] the gospel of Christ:

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,

Not boasting of things without [our] measure, [that is], of other men’s labours; but having hope, when your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly,

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, [and] not to boast in another man’s line of things made ready to our hand.

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