2 Corinthians 11
1 O that you were bearing with me a little of the folly, but you also bear with me:
If only you would bear with me for a bit in my foolishness! Yes, do 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,
I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy, because I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a pure 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 am afraid that just as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds will be led astray from simple devotion 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 someone comes to you and preaches a different message about Jesus than the one we preached, or if you receive a different spirit than the one you received, or a different gospel than the one you accepted, you bear with it well enough.
5 for I reckon that I have been nothing behind the very chiefest apostles,
For I consider myself to be in no way inferior to these “super-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.
I may be untrained in speech, but I do not lack knowledge; indeed, in every way we have been made known to you in everything.
7 Did I do sin—humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I freely proclaimed the good news of God to you?
Did I commit a sin by humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge?
8 I robbed other assemblies, having taken wages, for your ministry;
I “robbed” other churches by receiving support from them in order to serve 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.
When I was with you and in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed. I kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and I will continue to do so.
10 The truth of Christ is in me, because this boasting will not be stopped in regard to me in the regions of Achaia;
As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia.
11 for what reason? Because I do not love you? God has known!
Why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!
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 am doing I will continue to do, so that I may deny any opportunity to those who want to be regarded as our equals in what they boast about.
13 for those such [are] false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ,
For such men are false apostles and deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.
14 and no wonder—for even Satan transforms himself into a messenger of light;
And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as 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.
Therefore it is no great surprise if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their 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: Let no one consider me to be a fool. But if you do, receive me just as you would a fool, so that I too may boast 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 say in this confidence of boasting, I am not saying in accordance with the Lord, but as a fool.
18 since many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast:
Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast.
19 for you gladly bear with the fools—being wise,
For you gladly bear with fools since you are so wise!
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;
You bear with it if anyone enslaves you, devours you, takes advantage of you, exalts himself, or hits you in 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.
To my shame I admit that we were too weak for that! But whatever anyone else dares to boast about—I am speaking like a fool—I also dare to boast about.
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 offspring 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 servants of Christ? (I am speaking like I am out of my mind!) I am even more so, with far more labors, with beatings beyond measure, with far more imprisonments, and often facing death.
24 Five times I received from Jews forty [stripes] except one;
Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus 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;
Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I spent in the open sea.
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;
I have often been on journeys, exposed to dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, and dangers among false brothers.
27 in laboriousness and painfulness, many times in watchings, in hunger and thirst, many times in fastings, in cold and nakedness;
I have endured labor and hardship, many sleepless nights, and hunger and thirst. I have often gone without food and have been cold due to a lack of sufficient clothing.
28 apart from the things without—the crowding on me that is daily—the care of all the assemblies.
Apart from these external things, there is my daily burden: my concern for all the churches.
29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is stumbled, and I am not burned?
Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?
30 If it is necessary to boast, I will boast of the things of my weakness;
If I must boast, I will boast about the things that show my weakness.
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 the Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. (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 King Aretas was guarding the city of the Damascenes, wanting to arrest me,
33 and I was let down through a window in a rope basket, through the wall, and fled out of his hands.
but I was let down in a basket through a window in the city wall and escaped from his hands.
