2 Corinthians 11

1 Would that ye could bear with me in a little folly! and indeed ye do bear with me.

I could wish that you would put up with a little of my foolishness, but indeed you already are.

2 For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy; for I espoused you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ;

For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy, because I betrothed you to one man to present you to Christ as a pure virgin.

3 but I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve by his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from single-heartedness toward Christ.

But I am afraid that somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve with his cunning, so your minds may be corrupted from the integrity that is in Christ.

4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye did not receive, or another gospel, which ye did not accept, well might ye bear with it.

For if someone comes and preaches another ‘Jesus’ whom we did not preach, or you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you easily put up with it.

5 For I suppose that I am in no respect behind the very foremost apostles.

Now I consider that I am not at all inferior to the very best apostles.

6 And though I am rude in speech, yet I am not in knowledge; but this did we in every respect manifest to you in all things.

Though I may not be a trained speaker, I do have knowledge—but we have been fully manifested to you in all things.

7 Did I commit an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I preached to you the gospel of God without charge?

Or did I commit a sin in humbling self so that you might be exalted, in that I proclaimed God's Gospel to you free of charge?

8 I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, in order to do you service;

I ‘robbed’ other congregations, receiving support from them so as to serve you,

9 and when I was present with you, and in want, I was a charge to no one; (for the brethren, when they came from Macedonia, supplied my wants; ) and in every thing I kept myself and will keep myself from being burdensome to you.

and when I was with you and in need, I did not burden anyone; because the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need. Yes, I kept myself from being a burden to you in anything, and will keep on.

10 As the truth of Christ is in me, this boasting shall not be stopped in regard to me in the regions of Achaia.

The truth of Christ is in me: this boasting will not be silenced in me in the regions of Achaia.

11 Wherefore? Because I love you not? God knoweth!

Why? Because I do not love you? God knows!

12 But what I do, that I will continue to do, that I may cut off occasion from those who wish for an occasion, in order that in the matter of which they boast they may be found even as we.

Further, I will keep on doing what I do in order to cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things of which they boast.

13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workmen, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.

Such men are really false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into ‘apostles’ of Christ.

14 And no wonder; for even Satan transformeth himself into an angel of light.

And no wonder, because Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.

15 It is no great thing, then, if his ministers also transform themselves as ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

So it is no great thing if his servants also masquerade as ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

16 I say again, let no one suppose me a fool; if otherwise, yet even as a fool receive me, that I too may boast myself a little.

Again I say, let no one think me a fool. But should anyone do so, at least receive me as a fool, that I also may boast a little bit.

17 What I speak, I speak not after the Lord, but as it were in folly, in this confidence of boasting.

What I am going to say I do not say according to the Lord, but as though foolishly, in this confident boasting.

18 Seeing that many boast after the flesh, I will boast also.

Since many are boasting according to the flesh, I will too

19 For ye bear with fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise;

(for you put up with fools gladly, being so wise yourselves!).

20 for ye bear with it, if one brings you into bondage, if one devours you, if one takes from you, if one exalts himself, if one smites you on the face.

In fact, you even put up with someone who enslaves you, who ‘devours’ you, who takes advantage, who exalts himself, who beats on your face!

21 I say it to my reproach, that we were weak; but in whatever any one is bold, (I speak in folly, ) I am bold also.

Is it disrespectful to say that we were ‘weak’? In whatever anyone is bold (I speak foolishly), I am bold also.

22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abram's offspring? So am I.

Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.

23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as beside myself, ) I am more; in labors more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often;

Are they ministers of Christ? (I'm being irrational) I am more: in labors more abundantly, in beatings beyond count, in prison more frequently, in ‘deaths’ often—

24 of the Jews five times I received forty stripes save one;

five times from the Jews I received the ‘forty lashes minus one’;

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

three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked (I spent twenty-four hours in the open sea)—

26 by journeyings often; by perils of rivers, by perils of robbers, by perils from my countrymen, by perils from the heathen, by perils in the city, by perils in the wilderness, by perils in the sea, by perils among false brethren;

in frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, in danger from robbers, in danger from my countrymen, in danger from Gentiles, in danger in cities, in danger in wildernesses, in danger in the sea, in danger among false brothers;

27 by weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.

in toil and hardship, in many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, in frequent fastings, in cold and nakedness—

28 Besides the other troubles, there is that which presseth upon me daily, the anxiety for all the churches.

quite apart from the other things, my daily disturbances, my concern for all the congregations.

29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is in danger of stumbling, and I do not burn?

Who is weak, and I do not feel it? Who is caused to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?

30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things which belong to my weakness.

Well, if I must boast, I will boast of the things that concern my weakness.

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

The God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. (aiōn g165)

32 In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept guard over the city of the Damascenes, in order to apprehend me;

In Damascus the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of the Damascenes, wanting to arrest me;

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

but I was lowered in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped from his hands.