2 Corinthians 11

1 I could wish that you would tolerate a little folly in me! But indeed you do tolerate me.

Put up with me if I am a little foolish: but, truly, you do put up with me.

2 I am jealous over you with the jealousy of God. For I promised you in marriage as a pure bride, to one husband – the Christ.

For I have a very great care for you: because you have been married by me to one husband, and it is my desire to give you completely holy to Christ.

3 Yet I fear that it may turn out that, just as the snake by his craftiness deceived Eve, so your minds may have lost the loyalty and purity due from you to the Christ.

But I have a fear, that in some way, as Eve was tricked by the deceit of the snake, your minds may be turned away from their simple and holy love for Christ.

4 For, if some newcomer is proclaiming a Jesus other than him whom we proclaimed, or if you are receiving a Spirit different from the Spirit which you received, or a good news different from that which you welcomed, then you are marvellously tolerant!

For if anyone comes preaching another Jesus from the one whose preachers we are, or if you have got a different spirit, or a different sort of good news from those which came to you, how well you put up with these things.

5 I do not regard myself as in any way inferior to the most eminent apostles!

For in my opinion, I am in no way less than the most important of the Apostles.

6 Though I am no trained orator, yet I am not without knowledge; indeed we made this perfectly clear to you in every way.

But though I am rough in my way of talking, I am not so in knowledge, as we have made clear to all by our acts among you.

7 Perhaps you say that I did wrong in humbling myself that you might be exalted – I mean because I told you God’s good news without payment.

Or did I do wrong in making myself low so that you might be lifted up, because I gave you the good news of God without reward?

8 I robbed other churches by taking pay from them, so that I might serve you!

I took money from other churches as payment for my work, so that I might be your servant;

9 And, when I was with you in need, I did not become a burden to any of you; for our friends, on coming from Macedonia, supplied my needs. I kept myself, and will keep myself from being an expense to you in any way.

And when I was present with you, and was in need, I let no man be responsible for me; for the brothers, when they came from Macedonia, gave me whatever was needed; and in everything I kept myself from being a trouble to you, and I will go on doing so.

10 As surely as I know anything of the truth of Christ, this boast, as far as I am concerned, will not be stopped in any part of Greece.

As the true word of Christ is in me, I will let no man take from me this my cause of pride in the country of Achaia.

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

Why? because I have no love for you? let God be judge.

12 What I am doing now I will continue to do in order to cut away the ground from under those who are wishing for some ground for attacking me, so that as regards the thing of which they boast they may appear in their true characters, just as we do.

But what I do, that I will go on doing, so that I may give no chance to those who are looking for one; so that, in the cause of their pride, they may be seen to be the same as we are.

13 Such people are false apostles, treacherous workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ!

For such men are false Apostles, workers of deceit, making themselves seem like Apostles of Christ.

14 And no wonder; for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

And it is no wonder; for even Satan himself is able to take the form of an angel of light.

15 It is not surprising, therefore, if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. But their end will be in accordance with their actions.

So it is no great thing if his servants make themselves seem to be servants of righteousness; whose end will be the reward of their works.

16 I say again – Let no one think me a fool! Yet, if you do, at least welcome me as you would a fool, so that I, too may indulge in a little boasting.

I say again, Let me not seem foolish to anyone; but if I do, put up with me as such, so that I may take a little glory to myself.

17 When I speak like this, I am not speaking as the Master would, but as a fool might, in boasting so confidently.

What I am now saying is not by the order of the Lord, but as a foolish person, taking credit to myself, as it seems.

18 As so many are boasting of earthly things, I, too, will boast.

Seeing that there are those who take credit to themselves after the flesh, I will do the same.

19 For all your cleverness, you tolerate fools willingly enough!

For you put up with the foolish gladly, being wise yourselves.

20 You tolerate a person even when they enslave you, when they plunder you, when they get you into their power, when they put on airs of superiority, when they strike you in the face!

You put up with a man if he makes servants of you, if he makes profit out of you, if he makes you prisoners, if he puts himself in a high place, if he gives you blows on the face.

21 I admit, to my shame, that we have been weak. But whatever the subject on which others are not afraid to boast – though it is foolish to say so – I am not afraid either!

I say this by way of shaming ourselves, as if we had been feeble. But if anyone puts himself forward (I am talking like a foolish person), I will do the same.

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 of Israel? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.

23 Are they “Servants of Christ”? Though it is madness to talk like this, I am more so than they! I have had more of toil, more of imprisonment! I have been flogged times without number. I have been often at death’s door.

Are they servants of Christ? (I am talking foolishly) I am more so; I have had more experience of hard work, of prisons, of blows more than measure, of death.

24 Five times I received at the hands of my own people forty lashes, all but one.

Five times the Jews gave me forty blows but one.

25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a whole day and night in the deep.

Three times I was whipped with rods, once I was stoned, three times the ship I was in came to destruction at sea, a night and a day I have been in the water;

26 My journeys have been many. I have been through dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in towns, dangers in the country, dangers on the sea, dangers among people pretending to be followers of the Lord.

In frequent travels, in dangers on rivers, in dangers from outlaws, in dangers from my countrymen, in dangers from the Gentiles, in dangers in the town, in dangers in the waste land, in dangers at sea, in dangers among false brothers;

27 I have been through toil and hardship. I have passed many a sleepless night; I have endured hunger and thirst; I have often been without food; I have known cold and nakedness.

In hard work and weariness, in frequent watchings, going without food and drink, cold and in need of clothing.

28 And, not to speak of other things, there is my daily burden of anxiety about all the churches.

In addition to all the other things, there is that which comes on me every day, the care of all the churches.

29 Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led astray without my burning with indignation?

Who is feeble and I am not feeble? who is in danger of falling, and I am not angry?

30 If I must boast, I will boast of things which show my weakness!

If I have to take credit to myself, I will do so in the things in which I am feeble.

31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus – he who is for ever blessed – knows that I am speaking the truth. (aiōn g165)

The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be praise for ever, is witness that the things which I say are true. (aiōn g165)

32 When I was in Damascus, the Governor under King Aretas had the gates of that city guarded, so as to arrest me,

In Damascus, the ruler under Aretas the king kept watch over the town of the people of Damascus, in order to take me:

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

And being let down in a basket from the wall through a window, I got free from his hands.