2 Corinthians 11
1 O that you were bearing with me a little of the folly, but you also bear with me:
I wish that you could put up with me in some foolishness. But you are indeed putting up 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 about you. I have a godly jealousy for you, since I promised you in marriage to one husband. I promised 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 somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your thoughts might be led astray away from a sincere and pure 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 suppose that someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we preached. Or suppose that you receive a different spirit than what you received. Or suppose that you receive a different gospel than the one you received. You put up with these things well enough!
5 for I reckon that I have been nothing behind the very chiefest apostles,
For I think that I am not in the least inferior to those so-called 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.
But even if I am untrained in giving speeches, I am not untrained in knowledge. In every way and in all things we have made this known to you.
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 sin by humbling myself so you might be exalted? For I freely preached the gospel of God to you.
8 I robbed other assemblies, having taken wages, for your ministry;
I robbed other churches by accepting support from them so that I could 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 I was in need, I did not burden anyone. For my needs were met by the brothers who came from Macedonia. In everything I have kept myself from being a burden to you, and I will continue to do that.
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 the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine will not be silenced in the parts of Achaia.
11 for what reason? Because I do not love you? God has known!
Why? Because I do not love you? God knows.
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;
And what I do I will keep doing, in order that I may take away the claim for criticizing me and the claim for which they want to boast—that they are found to be doing the same work that we are doing.
13 for those such [are] false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ,
For such people are false apostles and deceitful workers. They disguise themselves as apostles of Christ.
14 and no wonder—for even Satan transforms himself into a messenger of light;
And this is no surprise, 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.
It is no great surprise if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their fate will be what their deeds deserve.
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 say again: Let no one think I am a fool. But if you do, receive me as a fool so I 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 am saying with this boastful confidence—I am not talking the way the Lord would—I am saying as a fool.
18 since many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast:
Since many people boast according to the flesh, I will also boast.
19 for you gladly bear with the fools—being wise,
For you gladly put up with fools. 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 you put up with someone if he enslaves you, if he consumes you, if he takes advantage of you, if he considers himself better than you, or if he slaps 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.
I will say to our shame that we were too weak to do that. Yet if anyone boasts—I am speaking like a fool—I too will boast.
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 descendants 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 speak as though I were out of my mind.) I am more. I have been in even more hard work, in far more prisons, in beatings beyond measure, in facing many dangers of death.
24 Five times I received from Jews forty [stripes] except one;
From Jews I received five times 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. I have spent a night and a day on 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 been on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, in danger from robbers, in danger from my own people, in danger from the Gentiles, in danger in the city, in danger in the wilderness, in danger at sea, in danger from 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 been at hard work and in hardship, in many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often in fasting, in cold and nakedness.
28 apart from the things without—the crowding on me that is daily—the care of all the assemblies.
Apart from everything else, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety 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 has been caused to stumble, and I do not burn?
30 If it is necessary to boast, I will boast of the things of my weakness;
If I must boast, I will boast about what shows my weaknesses.
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, the one who is praised 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,
At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus 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 lowered in a basket through a window in the wall, and I escaped from his hands.
