2 Corinthians 11
1 I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness, but indeed you do bear with me.
Would that you could put up with a little "folly" from me! Nay, do bear with me.
2 For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy. For I married you to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Messiah.
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.
3 But I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve in his craftiness, so your minds might be corrupted from the sincerity and purity that is in the Messiah.
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.
4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or if you receive a different spirit, which you did not receive, or a different gospel, which you did not accept, you put up with that well enough.
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.
5 For I reckon that I am not at all behind the very best apostles.
For I reckon that I am in no respect behind your superapostolic apostles.
6 Even though I am unskilled in speech, I am not unskilled in knowledge. But in every way we have made this known to you in all things.
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.
7 Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached to you God's gospel free of charge?
Is it a sin, forsooth, that I humbled myself that you might be exalted, in preaching the gospel to you free of cost?
8 I robbed other churches, taking wages from them that I might serve you.
Other churches I spoiled, and took their wages to do you service.
9 When I was present with you and was in need, I was not a burden on anyone, for the brothers, when they came from Macedonia, supplied the measure of my need. In everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and I will continue to do so.
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.
10 As the truth of Messiah is in me, no one will stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia.
As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting of mine shall not be stopped within the boundaries of Greece!
11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows.
And why? Because I love you not? God knows I do.
12 But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them that desire an occasion, that in which they boast, they may be found even as we.
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.
13 For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as Messiah's apostles.
For such fellows are sham apostles of Christ.
14 And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light.
No wonder! for Satan himself disguises himself as an angel of light.
15 It is no great thing therefore if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.
It is no great marvel, then, if his ministers also disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness. Their end will be according to their works.
16 I say again, let no one think me foolish. But if so, yet receive me as foolish, that I also may boast a little.
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.
17 That which I speak, I do not speak according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting.
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.
18 Seeing that many boast after the flesh, I will also boast.
Since so many are making worldly boasts, I shall boast, too!
19 For you bear with the foolish gladly, being wise.
Although you are wise, you put up with fools willingly enough!
20 For you put up with it if someone makes slaves of you, if someone exploits you, if someone takes advantage of you, if someone exalts himself, if someone strikes you on the face.
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!
21 I speak by way of disparagement, as though we had been weak. Yet however any is bold (I speak in foolishness), I am bold also.
I say that I was weak, and yet for whatever reason any one is bold (I speak in mere folly) I too am bold.
22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.
Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they descendants of Israel? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.
23 Are they servants of Messiah? (I speak as one beside himself) I am more so; in labors more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in deaths often.
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.
24 Five times from the Jews I received forty stripes minus one.
Five times at the hands of the Jews, I have received one short of forty lashes.
25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I suffered shipwreck. I have been a night and a day in the deep.
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.
26 I have been in travels often, perils of rivers, perils of robbers, perils from my countrymen, perils from those who are not Jews, perils in the city, perils in the wilderness, perils in the sea, perils among false brothers;
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;
27 in labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, and in cold and nakedness.
in toil and weariness, often in sleepless watching, in hunger and thirst, often without anything to eat; in cold and in nakedness.
28 Besides those things that are outside, there is that which presses on me daily, anxiety for all the churches.
Not to mention other things, there is the crowding pressure of each day upon me, the care of all the churches.
29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is caused to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?
Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is caused to stumble, but I burn with indignation?
30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that concern my weakness.
If boast I must, it shall be concerning my weakness.
31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed forevermore, knows that I do not lie. (aiōn g165)
The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed forever, knows that I am telling the truth. (aiōn g165)
32 In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king guarded the city of the Damascenes, desiring to arrest me.
In Damascus, the governor under Aretas the King, kept guard over the city of the Damascus, to arrest me;
33 Through a window I was let down in a basket by the wall, and escaped his hands.
but through an opening in the wall I was let down in a basket, and so escaped and out of his hands.
