2 Corinthians 10

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

Moreover, I, Paul, myself, exhort you, through the meekness and considerateness of the Christ, —I who, to look upon, indeed, am lowly toward you, but, absent, am bold towards you; —

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 entreat, however, that, when present, I may not be bold with the assurance wherewith I think to be daring against some who account of us as though, according to flesh, we were walking, —

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

For, though, in flesh, we walk, not, according to flesh, do we war, —

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 fleshly, but mighty, by God, unto a pulling down of 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 Christ;

When we pull down, calculations, and every height that uplifteth itself against the knowledge of God, and when we bring into captivity every thought unto the obedience of the Christ,

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

And when we hold ourselves, in readiness, to avenge all disobedience, as soon as your obedience shall be fulfilled!

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

The things that lie on the surface, ye are looking at: —if anyone hath come to trust in himself that he is, Christ’s, this, let him reckon, again, with himself—that, even as, he, is Christ’s, so, also are, we.

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,

Yea, if, somewhat more abundantly, I should boast concerning our authority—which the Lord hath given for building up and not for pulling you down, I shall not be put to shame, —

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

That I may not seem as though I would be terrifying you through means of my letters;

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

Because, The letters, it is true (saith one), are weighty and strong, but, the presence of the body, is weak, and, the discourse, contemptible; —

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.

This, let such a one reckon—that, what we are, in our word, through means of letters, being absent, such, also, being present, are we, in our deed.

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 dare not class or compare ourselves with some who do, themselves, commend; but, they, among themselves, measuring, themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are without discernment!

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, not as to the things without measure, will boast ourselves, but, according to the measure of the limit which God apportioned unto us, as a measure—to reach as far as even 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 Christ,

For, not as though we were not reaching unto you, are we over-stretching ourselves, for, as far as even you, were we beforehand in the glad-message of the 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,

Not, as to the things without measure, boasting ourselves in other men’s toils, but having, hope—your faith, growing—among you, to be enlarged, according to our limit for something beyond, —

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

Unto the regions beyond you, to carry the glad-message: not, within another man’s limit, as to the things made ready, to boast ourselves.

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

He that boasteth, however, in the Lord, let him boast;

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

For, not he that commendeth himself, he, is approved, but he whom, the Lord, doth commend.