2 Corinthians 11

1 Would that you could put up with a little "folly" from me! Nay, do bear with me.

Would that ye could bear with me in a little foolishness: nay indeed bear with me.

2 I have a divine jealousy on your behalf; for I betrothed you to one only husband, even to Christ, that I might present you to him, a chaste virgin.

For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy: for I espoused you to one husband, that I might present you [as] a pure virgin to Christ.

3 But I fear lest, just as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness, so your minds should be seduced from your single-mindedness and purity toward Christ.

But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness, your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity and the purity that is toward Christ.

4 If indeed some one is coming to preach another Jesus, whom I did not preach, or you are receiving a Spirit other than you once received, or another gospel which you did not accept before, you would do well to bear with me.

For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or [if] ye receive a different spirit, which ye did not receive, or a different gospel, which ye did not accept, ye do well to bear with [him].

5 For I reckon that I am in no respect behind your superapostolic apostles.

For I reckon that I am not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.

6 Yes, though I be unskilled in speech, at least I am not in knowledge; indeed I made this perfectly plain to you in all things and among all men.

But though [I be] rude in speech, yet [am I] not in knowledge; nay, in everything we have made [it] manifest among all men to you-ward.

7 Is it a sin, forsooth, that I humbled myself that you might be exalted, in preaching the gospel to you free of cost?

Or did I commit a sin in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I preached to you the gospel of God for nought?

8 Other churches I spoiled, and took their wages to do you service.

I robbed other churches, taking wages [of them] that I might minister unto you;

9 Even when I lacked the actual necessities of life while I was with you, I was a burden to no one; for whatever I lacked, the brothers from Macedonia supplied, when they came. So I kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so.

and when I was present with you and was in want, I was not a burden on any man; for the brethren, when they came from Macedonia, supplied the measure of my want; and in everything I kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and [so] will I keep [myself].

10 As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine shall not be stopped within the boundaries of Greece!

As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this glorying in the regions of Achaia.

11 And why? Because I love you not? God knows I do.

Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.

12 I am doing and will continue to do this in order to cut away the ground from under those who wish some cause for slander; and that the ground of their boasting may appear as does mine.

But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire an occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.

13 For such fellows are sham apostles of Christ.

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into apostles of Christ.

14 No wonder! for Satan himself disguises himself as an angel of light.

And no marvel; for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light.

15 It is no great marvel, then, if his ministers also disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness. Their end will be according to their works.

It is no great thing therefore if his ministers also fashion themselves as ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

16 I say again, let no one think me a fool. Or, if you must, at least bear with me as a fool, that I, too, may do a little boasting.

I say again, Let no man think me foolish; but if [ye do], yet as foolish receive me, that I also may glory a little.

17 What I am about to say I am not speaking by the Lord’s command, but as it were in pure folly, in this boldness of boasting.

That which I speak, I speak not after the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of glorying.

18 Since so many are making worldly boasts, I shall boast, too!

Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.

19 Although you are wise, you put up with fools willingly enough!

For ye bear with the foolish gladly, being wise [yourselves].

20 You put up with it, though they make slaves of you, live on you, seize your property, lord it over you, even strike you in the face, in the way of degradation!

For ye bear with a man, if he bringeth you into bondage, if he devoureth you, if he taketh you [captive], if he exalteth himself, if he smiteth you on the face.

21 I say that I was weak, and yet for whatever reason any one is bold (I speak in mere folly) I too am bold.

I speak by way of disparagement, as though we had been weak. Yet whereinsoever any is bold (I speak in foolishness), I am bold also.

22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they descendants of Israel? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.

Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.

23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as though I were beside myself), such, far, more, am I; in labors more abundant, in imprisonments also more abundant, in floggings beyond measure, in deaths often.

Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as one beside himself) I more; in labours more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in deaths oft.

24 Five times at the hands of the Jews, I have received one short of forty lashes.

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

25 Three times I have been scourged by the Romans; once I have been stoned; three times have I been shipwrecked; a night and a day have I been adrift in the open sea.

Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day have I been in the deep;

26 My journeys have been many; in perils of rivers, in perils of bandits; in perils from my countrymen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness; in perils on the sea, in perils among false brothers;

[in] journeyings often, [in] perils of rivers, [in] perils of robbers, [in] perils from [my] countrymen, [in] perils from the Gentiles, [in] perils in the city, [in] perils in the wilderness, [in] perils in the sea, [in] perils among false brethren;

27 in toil and weariness, often in sleepless watching, in hunger and thirst, often without anything to eat; in cold and in nakedness.

[in] labour and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.

28 Not to mention other things, there is the crowding pressure of each day upon me, the care of all the churches.

Beside those things that are without, there is that which presseth upon me daily, anxiety for all the churches.

29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is caused to stumble, but I burn with indignation?

Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is made to stumble, and I burn not?

30 If boast I must, it shall be concerning my weakness.

If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things that concern my weakness.

31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed forever, knows that I am telling the truth. (aiōn g165)

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

32 In Damascus, the governor under Aretas the King, kept guard over the city of the Damascus, to arrest me;

In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king guarded the city of the Damascenes, in order to take me:

33 but through an opening in the wall I was let down in a basket, and so escaped and out of his hands.

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