2 Corinthians 10

1 Now I Paul, myself, entreat you by the humility and gentleness of Meshikha; I who in your presence am lowly among you, but being absent am of good courage toward you.

Now I, Paul, myself appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when with you face to face, but bold toward you when absent!

2 But I implore you that when I am present I may not have to be bold with the confidence with which I intend on showing against some, who consider us to be walking according to the flesh.

I ask that when I am present I need not show boldness by daring to oppose those who think that we walk according to the flesh.

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh;

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh.

4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty in God for the tearing down of strongholds,

For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful in God for tearing down strongholds.

5 throwing down imaginations and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Meshikha;

We tear down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

6 and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience, when your obedience will be made full.

We are ready to punish any disobedience, once your obedience is complete.

7 Do you look at things only as they appear in front of your face? If anyone trusts in himself that he is Meshikha's, let him consider this again with himself, that, even as he is Meshikha's, so also we are Meshikha's.

Are you looking only at outward appearances? If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should remind himself that just as he belongs to Christ, so we also belong to Christ.

8 For though I should boast somewhat abundantly concerning our authority, (which the Lord gave for building you up, and not for casting you down) I will not be disappointed,

For even if I boast somewhat further about our authority (which the Lord has given us for building you up and not for tearing you down), I will not be ashamed.

9 that I may not seem as if I desire to terrify you by my letters.

For I do not want to seem as though I am trying to frighten you by my letters.

10 For, "His letters," they say, "are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech is despised."

For, “His letters,” they say, “are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech amounts to nothing.”

11 Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such are we also in deed when we are present.

The people who say such things should realize that what we say in our letters when we are absent, we will demonstrate by our actions when we are present.

12 For we are not bold to number or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves. But they themselves, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are without understanding.

For we do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves with one another and compare themselves to one another, they do not show good sense.

13 But we will not boast beyond proper limits, but within the boundaries with which God appointed to us, which reach even to you.

We, however, will not boast beyond certain limits, but will confine our boasting to the area of ministry that God has assigned to us, which reaches even as far as you.

14 For we do not stretch ourselves too much, as though we did not reach to you. For we came even as far as to you with the Good News of Meshikha,

For we are not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach you; we were the first to come all the way to you with the gospel of Christ.

15 not boasting excessively in the work done by others, but having hope that as your faith grows, we will be abundantly enlarged by you in our sphere of influence,

We do not go beyond our limits by boasting in the labors of others. On the contrary, our hope is that, as your faith increases, our area of ministry among you will be greatly expanded,

16 so as to preach the Good News even to the regions beyond you, not to boast in what someone else has already done.

so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, without boasting about work already done in someone else's area of ministry.

17 But "he who boasts, let him boast in the Lord."

But, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

18 For it is not he who commends himself who is approved, but whom the Lord commends.

For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.