2 Corinthians 11

1 O that you were bearing with me a little of the folly, but you also bear with me:

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

2 for I am zealous for you with zeal of God, for I betrothed you to one Husband, a pure virgin, to present to Christ,

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.

3 and I fear, lest, as the serpent deceived Eve in his subtlety, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that [is] in the Christ;

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.

4 for if, indeed, he who is coming preaches another Jesus whom we did not preach, or you receive another spirit which you did not receive, or other good news which you did not accept—well were you bearing [it],

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.

5 for I reckon that I have been nothing behind the very chiefest apostles,

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

6 and even if a commoner in speech—yet not in knowledge, but in everything we were made evident in all things to you.

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.

7 Did I do sin—humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I freely proclaimed the good news of God to you?

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

8 I robbed other assemblies, having taken wages, for your ministry;

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

9 and being present with you, and having been in want, I was chargeable to no one, for the brothers supplied my lack—having come from Macedonia—and I kept myself burdenless to you in everything, and will keep.

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.

10 The truth of Christ is in me, because this boasting will not be stopped in regard to me in the regions of Achaia;

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.

11 for what reason? Because I do not love you? God has known!

Wherefore? Because I love you not? God knoweth.

12 And what I do, I also will do, that I may cut off the occasion of those wishing an occasion, that in that which they boast they may be found according as we also;

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.

13 for those such [are] false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ,

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

14 and no wonder—for even Satan transforms himself into a messenger of light;

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

15 [it is] no great thing, then, if his servants also transform themselves as servants of righteousness—whose end will be according to their works.

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

16 Again I say, may no one think me to be a fool; and if otherwise, receive me even as a fool, that I also may boast a little.

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.

17 That which I speak, I do not speak according to the LORD, but as in foolishness, in this the confidence of boasting;

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

18 since many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast:

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

19 for you gladly bear with the fools—being wise,

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

20 for you bear, if anyone is bringing you under bondage, if anyone devours, if anyone takes away, if anyone exalts himself, if anyone strikes you on the face;

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.

21 I speak in reference to dishonor, how that we were weak, and in whatever anyone is bold—in foolishness I say [it]—I also am bold.

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.

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 the seed of Abraham? so am I.

23 Are they servants of Christ? As [if] beside myself I speak—I [am] more; in labors more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths many times.

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.

24 Five times I received from Jews forty [stripes] except one;

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

25 three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I have passed a night and a day in the deep;

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;

26 journeys many times, perils of rivers, perils of robbers, perils from [my own] race, perils from nations, perils in city, perils in wilderness, perils in sea, perils among false brothers;

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;

27 in laboriousness and painfulness, many times in watchings, in hunger and thirst, many times in fastings, in cold and nakedness;

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

28 apart from the things without—the crowding on me that is daily—the care of all the assemblies.

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

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

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

30 If it is necessary to boast, I will boast of the things of my weakness;

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

31 the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ—who is blessed for all ages—has known that I do not lie! (aiōn g165)

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

32 In Damascus the governor [under] Aretas the king was watching the city of the Damascenes, wishing to seize me,

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

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

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