2 Corinthians 11
1 I could wish that you would tolerate a little folly in me! But indeed you do tolerate me.
WOULD to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear 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 am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin 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 fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in 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 he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.
5 I do not regard myself as in any way inferior to the most eminent apostles!
For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest 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 be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among you in all things.
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.
Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?
8 I robbed other churches by taking pay from them, so that I might serve you!
I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service.
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 wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.
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 truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia.
11 Why? Because I do not love you? God knows that I do!
Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.
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 do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.
13 Such people are false apostles, treacherous workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ!
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
14 And no wonder; for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into 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.
Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to 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 no man think me a fool; if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a little.
17 When I speak like this, I am not speaking as the Master would, but as a fool might, in boasting so confidently.
That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.
18 As so many are boasting of earthly things, I, too, will boast.
Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.
19 For all your cleverness, you tolerate fools willingly enough!
For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.
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!
For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you 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 speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly, ) I am bold also.
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 Israelites? 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 ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
24 Five times I received at the hands of my own people forty lashes, all but one.
Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save 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.
Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
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 journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
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 weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
28 And, not to speak of other things, there is my daily burden of anxiety about all the churches.
Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, 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 weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?
30 If I must boast, I will boast of things which show my weakness!
If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.
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, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not. (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 governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:
33 but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and so escaped his hands.
And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.
